ABSTRACT
By the early 1900s this neglect of full time firemen was leading to huge discontent regarding wages and hours of work as well as heavy handed discipline. Firemen in London formed a branch of the Municipal Employees Association [see Vol. 5, p. 382] in 1906 but failed to gain recognition of a trade union role by the employers. In 1916, the National Union of Corporation Workers under the leadership of Jim Bradley, an activist of that union, made a second attempt. This was more successful and in 1918 the NUCW agreed to transfer their fire service membership to newly formed Firemen’s Trade Union led by Bradley. The FTU faced similar difficulties of recognition by Brigades, particularly outside of London but by 1930 signs of progress were noticeable and the union changed its name to the Fire Brigades Union.
