Firemen's pay ....

[HFTrogg]

Ok Ok I admit I am old fashioned and still look at Ceefax  :-[ especially the letter page to see what annoys people enough to make comment, I came across a letter from one that said the wages of the Fire fighters was 80 pounds per dayshift and 130 for nightshift this was take home pay .. The next sentence the person wrote was who would consider doing the job for that kind of money ..... Can answer that one, as a SNCO my take home pay is less than the average fire fighter and would certainly think about it, wouldnt you ? Think he uniform would suit ?

 

[dogmonkey]

As someone who may in the near future have to assist when they stirke to raise their basic wage to above £30K (basic fireman), it kind of annoys me that the troops who are going to have to stand in cost a third of that.  There is something terribly wrong here.

I'm not saying that they are not worth the pay, they generally do pretty dangerous stuff on a day to day basis.  But the pay takes the piss compared to, say for example a WO2 who has infinitely more resoponsibility and has no doubt done some pretty dangerous stuff in his time.

Anybody out there like to justify this or are we all on the same side.  See you in a prehistoric green vehicle in a TA centre soon.

Who wants to be Purple Helmet?

 

[frequency_changer]

Is anyone else getting the good old Green Goddesses out and helping if the Fire service do go on strike??. I know that our Regt is down to deploy to various locations. :-/

 

[dogmonkey]

If there's a national strike, you'll probably find that anyone who isn't on or about to go on ops will be there!

 

[MG_GUNNER]

LETS HOPE THERES NO FIRE AT MOD CANT SEE THE BOYS FIGHTING THAT FIRE FOR LONG.

 

[Fozzywozzy]

I listened to the Firefighters Union rep this morning on the radio talking about the wanted 40% pay rise.

He said part of the rationale for this was that a Firefighters job had now become a lot more involved and technical than a Firefighters job in 1977 when they last went on a national strike.  But, apparantly their pay has not increased  relatively to this fact.

Well, what the hell has happened to the basic squaddy job in terms of becoming more technical ?  Every soldier at some point has to learn about equipment that is technically more advanced than it was in 1977 so should the Armed Services all get a 40% pay rise ?  What about Doctors and Nurses ?

I agree with Dogmonkey in that I would not begrudge the Fire Service getting a decent pay rise for the job that they do, but 40% is just rediculous.  A basic Firefighter would end up on c.£30k a year after the equivalent of Phase 1 & 2 training.  Unbelievable !!!

I can already see the rust setting in on the hinges of Army Careers Offices and tumbleweed rolling around their interiors!!!

 

[wee_face]

Fozzywozzy is quite correct, in that we will lose jocks to the fireservice, especially if the have a taster on this strike. I do not see the strike lasting too long, as soon as the first civvie dies because we do not have the up to date epuipment public opinion will be strongly agaisnt the strike and one or other will have to crumble.

 

[modacs]

I thought that firemen worked on a four day rotation- i.e. 4 days on 4 days off. That is why many of them moonlight on their days off. I don't know what career progression is like in the fireservice but I would imagine that they stay on a low rate for a long time after training. Even bearing this in mind, I do think that £30k for putting out skip fires and talking to kids about why arson is bad is a bit keen.

 

[Baddass]

I don't think that they will but if they do get a 40% pay rise................I'm off to join them.  F*** this for a game of soldiers.  Pay 2000 spoke volumes about how valued we are.  

I'll have it away on my toes if they get a rise which puts them on £30k plus!! The MOD can stick it's gratuity right up its arrse.........I'm sure that we can transfer our pensions over.

Yours Sincerely

Fireman Sam!.......nee naw nee naw nee naw.......see, I already know the tune.........(I'll easily learn the dance steps!)

 

[ein__soldat]

When you leave the ARmy and join the fireservice ask them if they will:

1-give you subsidised housing.
2-give you subsidised food
3-give you really cheap and v good life insurance
4-give you a whoping great big, cast iron pension

and only demand that all you have to do for it is turn up and do bog all for 3 1/2 days a week, and on the off chance go and do something for a few months every 18 months or so.

You have no idea how well off you really are. I bet you are the typical whinging, loud mouth at the bar, the same sort in every level of mess - who just goes on and on about how crap things are and does nothing at all to contribute unless they get some bribe or threat.

P**s off to the fire service. I doubt if they want you but if they do then they are welcome.

 

[para_padre]

so whats next we stand in for the nurses and the docs then the police cos the govt is so soft they (the firepersons) will get a decent rise who will stand in for us when we have had enough

 

[PartTimePongo]

Fulfilled a childhood dream and got to sit in a Fire Engine on Saturday, working the doings and going fast.

Station Boss was ex-RGJ, his 2i/c was ex-Fusiliers.

....and no, we are ABSOLUTELY NOT going to be allowed to drive their Fire Engines, in spite of the fact, that the local council AKA dA GOvernMent own them, not the fcuking Fire-wallahs.

In fact quite a few of that particular station are ex-Army, including 1 ex-SF, and I'm told it's not unusual...

 

[Baddass]

ES..........I take it that outburst was for effect?

Points in response:

Subsidised housing ? - I own my own house (no mortgage) so I don't need it.

Subsidised food ? - I don't live in.

Life insurance ? - got my own.........up to the eye balls, I believe the expression goes.

Pension ? - Well I have to agree with you there, but I did ask if it would be transferable.

Whingeing at the bar? - I'm very rarely at the bar - too busy being the professional soldier by keeping myself fit, finishing my 2nd degree and balancing my job with my family needs.  I actually do enjoy the Army, I just feel that I'm worth more than the Government thinks I am.

How well off I really am? - Well I do consider myself very well off actually.  My wage is circa £30k but is not likely to go up any further until the next pay increase, my wife earns a substantial amount and we have all the trappings to go with it.  I know, I'm just showing off..........but hey?  I can!

Loud Mouth? - I think that you've topped me on that score by your little tantrum there, sparky.  But actually, I do have an opinion, but usually not  to the Army's detriment, more to the Governments.  I have merely expressed mine here (that's the purpose of the site, in case you have missed the point).

3 and a half day week? - Maybe in your unit.  

Bribe or threat ? - Is that how it works in your unit........mine doesn't put up with that sort of shit and hopefully it never will.

P*** off to the fire service ? - Well I did state that would be my intention if they get a 40% rise - try to comprehend what is actually being said before you kick off.

You doubt that they will want me? - that's some self opinionated judgement call that one.........

Now sunshine, get a life and get back in your box unless you've got something to say that's worth listening to and if you need some extra help paying off your PC installments........stay out of the bar, where you probably  spend most of your sad little existence.

 

[Guy_Gourdior]

Sorry to spoil the pointless bitching at other professions, but you should be aware that the Fireservice is one of the jobs that the Armed Forces Pay Review Board takes into account when setting our terms and conditions.  The point being that a pay rise for them can only be good news for us in the long run!

 

[Baddass]

Apologies PW et al, I shouldn't have allowed myself to be dragged into what you rightfully describe as a pointless argument........ but that child really needed a slapping down.  He appears to have spent far too much time in the company of Pam and her five sisters.  Interesting point which you have made re: the comparison of wages...........I for one, am not up to speed on these issues.   It would be interesting to see what the outcome will bring for the Army in respect of wage increases.  I, like many of us, don't do this line of work for free.............the money has it's place....I think we deserve more.....unlike the 'slapped child' who appears to do it for love, not to mention the housing and food subsidies, cheap insurance, the three and a half day week, the razor sharp wit and stimulating conversation from those who frequent his bar and oh, I nearly forgot.............the pension!

 

[dogmonkey]

More importantly have a think about this one.  What happens when soldier x dies horrendously in a fire because someone else wants more wedge?

Yes you'll probably remind me that one of our tasks is MAGD /  MACA etc but surely that's to back up in the case of an emergency, not because someone thinks they are getting a raw deal.

And as for those of you who will probably counter with the argument that it is unlikely that we will be doing anything inducing that level of danger, try convincing the blokes who are running about as we speak training to do just that.

Our pay isn't shocking and we don't (cannot) strike.  Which is good, that way we do not get overrun by petty minded jobsworth bureaucrats.

 

[Baddass]

All valid points Dogmonkey.

 

[YeoTanky]

I think you have really hit the nail on the head.

Strike breaking has been part of Army life for decades, it is not what any soldier joins for and can put him or her in a terrible position in thier home town.

Green Goddesses are 50 years old, modern firemen have to go around looking like something from Buck Rogers, presumably soldier / firemen will be in combats.

If and when we have a death or serious injury how will the government explain it to his or her loved ones - sorry he died as a scab.

Firemen, Police etc. should not be allowed to strike.  At the same time I have a certain amount of sympathy with the low wages paid to all public services.  All Governments take them for granted and expect a one way loyalty that is unfair.

The Government should not be using over stretched services to break strikes, break fuel blokades and any other self made calamity.

When we had floods, the army could not be used because funding did not allow it, funny how funding is available for something that is repugnant to all service personnel.

 

[ein__soldat]

Ma-S,

I'm glad that I managed to help make you consider what you have written before you hit the 'Post' key. I am sure that you were just fishing, well done - you got a bite.

In terms of Army vs Fire Ser vice, which is what this whole stream seems to be turning into, no one wants to be a scab, and I am fully aware of the probs, in fact, I am in a very simialr situation to the one you describe, however I do enjoy the fact that my life is not constrained by the petty crap that seems to be a part of so many jobs in civvy st, in fact I think that the Army does manage to rise above these squabbles.

Lets face it, these days the Army is almost an 'alternative' rather than an establishment choice - the herd just do not want to know.

That makes what we do and how we do it a bit special. I am not blind to the problems, but let's not make it worse by being dragged down to the level we see paraded  in the press.




Re: Firemen's pay ....
« Reply #8 on: Sep 2nd, 2002, 7:21pm »  Quote  Modify  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't think that they will but if they do get a 40% pay rise................I'm off to join them.  F*** this for a game of soldiers.  Pay 2000 spoke volumes about how valued we are.  

I'll have it away on my toes if they get a rise which puts them on £30k plus!! The MOD can stick it's gratuity right up its arrse.........I'm sure that we can transfer our pensions over.

Yours Sincerely

Fireman Sam!.......nee naw nee naw nee naw.......see, I already know the tune.........(I'll easily learn the dance steps!)

 

[Baddass]

ES..I wasn't fishing nor looking for a bite, as you put it.  I'll leave that type of activity for the likes of yourself.  I meant exactly what I posted and did not need to consider any part of it. I merely responded to the childish outburst which, for reasons known only to yourself, you added to the thread.   Like I said....if they get a 40% increase, I will be applying to join them.  Sorry of you take this matter personally and feel the need to become insulting, but it's really none of your bl**dy business whether I stay in the mob or not, so why don't you just grow up.