16 October 1951: Spit and polish action

On this day, 16 October 1951, firefighters in Britain took their first ever national industrial action with an unofficial "spit and polish" strike, in response to attacks on pay and conditions. The action consisted of responding to emergency calls and putting out fires but refusing all other routine duties like domestic chores and training. The background to the dispute was fire services reverting back to the control of local authorities after World War II, with councils claiming they could not afford the pay firefighters the same salaries they received during the war. However, historians like Victor Bailey believe that authorities wanted to undermine the organisation of fire service workers. In an effort to break the action, bosses began suspending, fining, demoting, disciplining and sacking firefighters, and sending in police to eject workers from fire stations but this failed to deter the workers. On 19 November, the Fire Brigades Union declared the "spit and polish" action official. While public support was already behind the firefighters, a fire in London in which three FBU members facing disciplinary action were killed turned opinion even more against management. The London County Council swiftly dropped its other disciplinaries and by Christmas local fire authorities caved in, many of them reinstating sacked or demoted firefighters and repaying fines paid.

More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8830/spit-and-polish-action

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