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www.socialistparty.org.uk | Socialist Party FBU Bulletin | London Dispute 2010

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The rst day of the London FBUstrike was a success. No re ghter

wants to go on strike. But Londonre ghters have answered bullying bosses

with a massive vote for strike action. AsMatt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union generalsecretary, said: This is a huge vote forstrike action. Fire ghters hate going onstrike but they hate being bullied evenmore. This vote demonstrates that London

re ghters will ght these mass sackingsevery step of the way.

But the bosses have made it clear this isa gloves-off ght. In an indication of how

brutal the bosses are prepared to be, theyhave prepared a scab workforce to try tobreak a legal strike, and have stolen 27engines from stations. This demonstratesthat they are prepared to run fast and

loose with peoples lives in order to pursuetheir bullying agenda. London is normallyserved by 169 engines.

A private rm, AssetCo Fire and Rescue, isbeing paid 12 million to provide civiliansto operate a re service during the strike.This private company has a seven-year

contract to provide an emergency recrew capability service in London in theevent of terrorist attacks, ooding or apandemic. This in itself is an outrageousstart of privatisation of essential services.The provision of such vital services shouldnot be a source of pro t but should bepublically funded and democraticallycontrolled. But now, as the FBU warnedwould be the case when the contract

was started, the 700 people who signedup to this company, some of them retired

or part-time re ghters from outside of London, are now being expected to be ascab force.

The attempts at running a scab serviceon the rst day of the strike were a farce.Fire ghters mounted determined picketlines on stations but in many cases noscab crews turned up. Pickets learned of scab engines spotted waiting in car parks,and being taken off the road due to theincompetence of drivers.

Nevertheless, the efforts of the re authority

bosses are a serious attempt to bring theunion to its knees. They are backed up by

the government, and national and Londonmedia. Right-wing rags like the Mail andLondon Standard, as they do with theRMT, have mounted an onslaught against

the FBU, with outrageous accusations of intimidation and strong-arm tactics.

Bully Coleman appeared on Channel 4news along with FBU general secretaryMatt Wrack, claiming to want to meet tonegotiate. He was forced on the programme

to commit to meeting for negotiations at9am the next morning and then didnt

turn up! The FBU should be back on the TVimmediately exposing this mans bullying,cowardly methods and demanding theimmediate withdrawal of the notices.

A serious response is required from the trade unions across London and wider. The trade union movement needs to go beyondsupportive speeches and fund-raising

important though these are and takesteps to develop real, properly-backed,solidarity action. At the least, strikes bydifferent groups of London workers shouldbe coordinated.

In an indication of the kind of solidarity that is necessary, many tube trains didnot run during the 23rd October strike,as they would not be safe. The LondonShop Stewards Network has proposed a

permanent solidarity committee of at least the willing trade unions - such as FBU,PCS, RMT, CWU - to be able to discussand properly prepare solidarity action. Thiscould lay the ground for stoppages across

the tube network, and prepare for workersrefusing to work in public buildings, schoolsetc, with the backing of their unions, as

they would not be safe in a re servicestrike.

If the re ghters are sacked at the endof this month, that should be met witha London-wide solidarity strike. Thisshould be prepared for with a Londondemonstration of all trade unionists insupport of the re ghters.

Coordinate strike dates with otherunions

Prepare for serious solidarity action

A London trade union demonstration,and a one-day London strike if there aremass sackings

VICTORY TO LONDONFIREFIGHTERS!Tough battle ahead serious solidarity needed

5

Socialists and trade unionists reactedwith anger and disgust at the news

that a Croydon re- ghter and FBUexecutive member for London Ian Leahairwere hospitalised on the second strikeday, after being deliberately run down bybalaclava-wearing strike breakers. A third

re ghter was injured when the hiredthugs behind the wheel of a re enginedeliberately drove at him.The responsibility for this lies squarely withthe London Fire Authority management andtheir disgraceful and dishonest organisationof a scab workforce. The right to strike and

the right to picket is being undermined.If any strikebreakers had been injured, theLondon Fire Brigade and the right-wing press would be screaming blue murder. Asit is, the re bosses have not condemnedthese dangerous and cowardly acts and theright-wing press has barely commented.John McInally, National Vice Presidentof the Public & Commercial ServicesUnion (PCS) said: This physical attackon London re- ghters results from agrowing drive by the government and themedia to take away the right to strike. Thetrade union movement must be united

in its condemnation of these attacks andthe company involved needs as a matterof urgency to be subject to a full criminalinvestigation.Martin Powell-Davies, National ExecutiveCommittee member of the NationalUnion of Teachers said: These attackson trade unionists engaged in lawful tradeunion activity will only help convince public

opinion that the Fire authority is acting in abullying and unreasonable manner in this

dispute, not the FBU.Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist said:Trade unionists around the country should

ood the London Fire Brigade of ce withprotests about the actions of these scabs.London Fire Brigade is supposed be runby a board of politicians, including Labourcouncillors - what are they doing to rein in

this runaway army of strikebreakers?I hope trade unionists throughout Londonwill visit the next FBU picket lines to showsolidarity. The FBU are on the frontline of

the battle against the cuts, they deserve the support of all trade unionists andsocialists.The Socialist Party is fully behind the heroicactions of the London re ghters and theirdefence of the capitals safety against abullying management.The efforts of the re authority bosses area serious attempt to bring the FBU to itsknees. They are backed by the governmentand Tory London mayor Boris Johnson, andnational and London media. Right wing ragslike the Mail and London Standard, as theydo with the RMT union, have mounted anonslaught against the FBU, with outrageousaccusations of intimidation and strong-arm tactics.In reality the strong-arm tactics are those of

the bosses: police, security guards and dogshave been used to try to enforce the strike-breaking of the hired thugs of AssetCo.A serious response is required from the

trade unions across London and wider. The

trade union movement needs to go beyondsupportive speeches and fundraising -important though these are - and take steps

to develop real, properly-backed, solidarityaction.At the least, strikes by different groups of London workers should be coordinated. Inan indication of the kind of solidarity thatis necessary, many tube trains did not runduring the 23 October and 1st November

strike, as they would not be safe.A solidarity meeting called by the publicservices committee of SERTUC (Southeast region TUC) aims to set up a solidaritycommittee. This is something SocialistParty members through the Shop StewardsNetwork have argued for - for at least thewilling trade unions, such as FBU, PCS,RMT and CWU, to be able to discuss andproperly prepare solidarity action.Health and safety advice is necessary from

the FBU to other unions. This could lay the ground for stoppages across the tubenetwork, and prepare for workers refusing

to work in public buildings, schools etc, with the backing of their unions, as they wouldnot be safe in a re service strike.If the re ghters are sacked at the endof this month, that should be met with aLondon-wide solidarity strike. This could beprepared for with a London demonstrationof all trade unionists in support of the

re ghters.

Solidarity withlondonfirefighterS!

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www.socialistparty.org.uk | Socialist Party FBU Bulletin | London Dispute 2010

Back the PCSs ght for a nationaldemo in 2010

Build the anti-cuts movement

The PCS NEC has published itsresponse to the ComprehensiveSpending Review. In it they express

their determination that a national demoagainst cuts be called before Christmas,saying:

The TUC has now con rmed 26March 2011 as the date for a nationaldemonstration against the Coalition

Governments agenda of cuts andprivatisation.

PCS had argued strongly for an earliernational demonstration to coincide withthe CSR. Despite that not being agreed,PCS members played an active role inthe success of local demonstrations on23 October across the UK, including inEdinburgh, London, Cardiff, Wrexham,Bristol, Leeds, Shef eld, York, Cambridge,Norwich and elsewhere.

At its special meeting on 26 October, the

NEC agreed, given the speed with whichthe Governments cuts will impact and thesuccess of the 23 October marches andprotests, that a national demonstrationshould be held this year in late November

or early December, in addition to the demonext March. We will be discussing thiswith other unions and will propose at theTUC Public Sector Liaison Group meeting on 8 November that the TUC call such ademonstration.

A further branch brie ng will follow,once the date is agreed for this earlierdemonstration.

The Socialist Party welcomes the PCSsdecision and is con dent that such ademonstration will receive widespreadsupport from across the trade unionmovement. The National Shop StewardsNetwork which lobbied

the TUC Congresssupporting thePCSs call for anational demoand then helpedinitiate the Londond e m o n s t r a t i o nand others on 23October will havean important role

to play in building

support for a demonstration.

Nothing will be nalised before the TUCPublic Services Liaison Group on 8November. However, the Socialist Party iscon dent the PCS and other unions aredetermined that a national demonstrationagainst cuts and youth unemployment will

take place this year.

The Socialist Party appeals to all trade

union branches to pass the motion belowappealing to their trade union executivesand the TUC general council to support thePCSs call for a demonstration.

M O D E L M O TIO N F O R A N

A T IO N AL D E MO N S T R A T IO N

IN

2 0 1 0

(Ame nd a s nece s s a r y for your or

g ani s a tion )

Thi s (na me o f TU bod y, s tuden t un

ion, workpla ce , ca mpa ig n )

i s oppo s ed to e ve r y cu t in the 8

1 billion a u s te ri t y pa cka g e

dema nde d b y thi s milliona ire Con

-Dem g o ve rnmen t.

We will no t a ccep t a million

job cu t s

doubling o f s tude n t fe e s

dra s t ic cu t s to we l fa re be n

e t s

incre a s ing the pe n s ion a g

e to 6 6 a nd be yond.

ma s s pri va t i s a t ion o f s e r v

ice s

We be lie ve tha t the s e cu t s will on

l y be de fea te d b y po wer -

ful uni te d a c t ion le d b y the tra de

union s , a nd ba cked up

tog e the r wi th ca mpa ig n s o f s e r vice

u s e r s , we l fa re cla ima n t s ,

s tude n t s , pen s ione r s a nd o the r s .

The TUC g ene ra l council me t on t

he da y O s borne a nnounced

the s la ug h te r o f public s e r vice s a

nd a g reed to ca ll a na tiona l

demo in Ma rch 2 011 .

Thi s doe s n ' t s ho w the urg enc y ne ce s s a r y g i ve

n the s ca le a nd

dep th o f the a t tack s .

We the re fore ca ll on our Na tiona l

E xe cu ti ve Commi t te e (or

a ppropria te na tiona l bod y ) to ca ll

a n e merg e nc y me e ting

immedia te l y, to con ta c t the PC S a

nd o the r tra de union s to

coordina te the calling o f a na tiona

l demon s tra tion be fore

Xma s a nd to di scu s s a s ui ta ble

da te for join t a c tion.

w w w. s o c i a l i s m 2 0 1 0 . n e t

RALLY FOR SOCIALISM6:30 SATURDAY 6 NOV, FRIENDS MEETING HOUSEEUSTON ROAD, NW1 2BJ.

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