A LONDON fire-fighter has been refused entry to the national Fire Brigade Union’s Black and Ethnic Minority Members group because it does not recognise the Irish as an ethnic minority.
Over the past year Brixton-based fireman Kevin Tierney has been engaged in discussion with the FBU, after appealing the decision of its B&EMM group – which claims his white Irish background does not make him eligible for membership.
Mr Tierney, a fire-fighter in the capital for more than 26 years, whose parents hail from counties Galway and Dublin, revealed his on-going campaign to access the group to The Irish Post.
“Irish people within the Fire Brigade Union have been trying to get into this group, which is for black and minority ethnic members, but they won’t let us join because they say Irish people are not classed as an ethnic
minority,” he said.
“So I got in touch with the Irish Embassy and the Irish in Britain organisation, who both confirmed that we are classed as an ethnic minority in Britain, but when I went back to the Union with this evidence they still
upheld the decision, which I find pretty distasteful.”
Mr Tierney initially lodged his complaint at being deemed ineligible to join B&EMM with the office of FBU President Alan McLean in November 2013.
After deliberating on the issues he raised, Mr McLean made a presidential ruling on the matter on December 2013, upholding the decision.
“My ruling is that white Irish members are not an ethnic minority in the national union and therefore would not be eligible to attend the B&EMM sectional meetings,” he claimed, in a letter to Mr Tierney.
Within that ruling Mr McLean explained that as the FBU represents roughly 1,731 members in the North of Ireland “there is a representation in our national union, regarding white Irish brothers and sisters and because of this I conclude that representation is forthcoming at a national level”.
Unhappy with the ruling, Mr Tierney has continued to appeal it over the past year.
“As far as I am concerned under the current laws of this country I am classed as an ethnic minority,” he claims.
“So I have asked the FBU again why they call it a black and ethnic minority group if it is not going to admit ethnic minorities, as it makes no sense to me.”
He added: “I refuse to let this go, and have been in contact with the Union for more than a year now on the issue. I am just appalled when so many people work so hard to make our organisation a better place to work, to be faced with a situation like this.”
The Irish Post is aware of at least two other London-based fire-fighters who have attempted unsuccessfully to join the B&EMM group.
One, who did not wish to be named, claimed: “I have had this since 1998 and at least you [Kevin] got a reply. It seems that being Irish counts for nothing.”
Mr Tierney lodged an official letter of complaint with the FBU in June of this year, claiming “Direct Discrimination on grounds of ethnicity”.
Following receipt of that letter a national FBU officer brought the matter to a meeting of the Executive Council on October 23 –where they upheld the President’s 2013 decision.
Mr Tierney has also raised the Issue with the London Fire Brigade’s Irish Society – a non-union based organisation representing the Irish within the fire service in the capital.
Chairman Terry Harrington, who is also the London Fire Brigade’s Borough Commander for Brent, told The Irish Post: “Irrespective of whether the FBU will allow Irish members access to B&EMM, the Union will
represent you and your rights whether you are English, Irish, Welsh or whatever.
“But I think the hurtful bit for Kevin, who has been declined from his applications to join them, is that somebody is saying this is for black and ethnic minorities, but not the Irish. I understand the sensitivities of that, when historically the Irish in Britain had instances where notices went up in B&Bs saying ‘no Irish’. In our society we are all aware of those things and how some of those challenges were really hard for people to take around that time.”
Regarding Mr Tierney’s ongoing discourse with the Union, he added: “My view is that we [Irish] are an acknowledged ethnic minority. It has been acknowledged by the former Commission for Racial Equality and it has been recognised in our own organisation, and that is the advice I have given to Kevin.”
When The Irish Post contacted the Irish Embassy in Britain, which has been contacted by both Mr Tierney and by FBU President Alan McLean regarding this matter, they refused to comment on the individual case.
But they confirmed: “The Embassy’s understanding is that UK law does not recognise ethnic minorities as such, but UK equalities law does include the concept of “racial group”. In Great Britain, the Equality Act 2010 introduced the concept of “protected characteristic” one of which is “race”. “Race” is defined as including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins.”
Since 2011 the British Census recognises White Irish as a separate ethnic category.
It is also specified as a specific ethnic category under The Equality Act 2010.
Jennie McShannon, CEO of Irish in Britain, also confirmed their perspective on the community’s ethnic status in Britain this week.
“The Irish are a recognised ethnic minority community and as such our work and that of our member organisations is dedicated to ensuring that the needs of Irish and Irish Travellers are recognised and responded to equally to others,” she told The Irish Post.
“Too often the discourse on race equality falls along an unhelpful black/white binary,” she adds.
“This results in a missed opportunity for the Irish and other BME communities to work together to tackle discrimination and lack of recognition of BME needs.”
When contacted by The Irish Post this week, the FBU would not comment on specific questions on the perceived ethnic status of their Irish members regarding the B&EMM group.
But a spokesperson said: “The B&EMM section of the FBU was established to specifically give a voice to black and minority-ethnic firefighters who have historically been under represented.
“The FBU represents firefighters in Northern Ireland and they have a powerful voice within the union.”
They added: “As far as the FBU are aware no concerns have been reported about the representation of Irish firefighters within the union. If there are, the FBU advises members to contact their regional union rep.”
