Rise in ‘racist' online comments by members of unions, says FBU leader
Trade unions are becoming increasingly concerned by a rise in 'racist and bigoted' comments online from their own members and officials, the new leader of the Fire Brigades Union has told the Guardian.
Steve Wright, the general secretary of the FBU, said internal inquiries into allegations of racism have uncovered dozens of cases where members have been found to use racist slurs or stereotypes, often regarding asylum seekers.
Other unions have had similar incidents, he said. Together, a group of unions plan to launch a campaign warning that online populists and far-right organisations are distorting the truth about immigration and race.
'People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I've witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members.
'On social media, some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up. You'd like to think we're getting better, and we're not.
'So we have been talking to other unions and they have seen exactly the same problems,' he said. 'We are pushing for new policies within our union which will recognise that this is happening and address issues of racism and bigotry within the union. We also want the TUC to address this too.'
At the FBU's annual conference in Blackpool next month, Wright will launch a statement calling for unions to counter far-right organisations and warn that they are distorting the truth about immigration and race.
He blamed social media and the rise of far right and populist movements for emboldening some union members with anti-immigrant views to make racist comments online.
'It feels like an itch that we've got to scratch,' he said. 'I think it's born out of last year's riots because our members are representative of society. We have seen the rise of Trump and the politics of Farage and it is hugely damaging. But it has resonated with some of our members.'
The FBU, usually regarded as one of Labour's most left wing affiliated unions, barred a former member of its governing body in November for allegedly making racist posts online.
An X account using the name of the former official reposted and expressed approval for tweets by Britain First, its leader, Paul Golding, and the far-right activist Tommy Robinson. The account reposted a post saying 'vile Muslim scum' were 'infecting' Britain.
In another post it said: 'Thankfully most of us don't have to endure this nonsense,' in response to a post by Golding that referred to the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, turning on lights to mark Ramadan and which included the far-right conspiracy theory 'the great replacement' as a hashtag.
Incidents of racism and misogyny at the London fire service were exposed more than two years ago by an inquiry into the culture of the UK's largest rescue organisation.
In one incident logged in a report, a black firefighter had a noose put over his locker and in another, a Muslim colleague had bacon and sausages stuffed in his pockets and a terrorist hotline sign posted on his locker.
Wright, 42, who has been a firefighter since he was 18, was elected general secretary in January, deposing Matt Wrack who was attempting to win a fifth term.
He warned that the union could strike if there were any attempts to cut frontline services after comments from ministers claiming that departments will be expected to make cuts. 'The government cannot cut public services any more. Our members would move to industrial action if there are any more cuts right to the frontline service,' he said.
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