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As action called for 9 December....

escalate strikes
to win this fight
T

he decision to call a further

24 hour strike and national
demonstration on Tuesday 9
December as a next step in our
fight to defend pensions and back
sacked Bucks EC member Ricky
Matthews is to be welcomed.
The success of the protest called by
the London Region of the FBU against
Penny Mourdants opening of West
Norwood fire station shows that there is
still a mood to fight. Cambridge FBUs
weekly lobbying of MPs also shows that
firefighters are prepared to get involved
in piling on the pressure.
The political strategy of lobbying
politicians has won support. More than
230 MPs are now backing EDM 454 on
firefighters pensions.
This committed campaigning stands
in stark contrast to the behaviour of
Penny Mordaunt following her recent
infamous Commons speech. Shes happy
to play the fool with her old mates from
the Navy, but shes not prepared to deal
with the crisis over pensions.

Critical

But our fight to defend pensions and the

fire service is still at a critical point.
After three years of talks and a year
of strikes including a solid four
days of strikes from 31 October to 4
Novemberthe Tories have refused to
budge an inch.
Many firefighters have rightly been
frustrated and worried about the unions
strategy for months. When action is
called by the union, the response from
members is magnificent. But each time
we seem to be gaining momentum,
action has been suspended for more
talks.
The four days of strikes in early
November should have been the
launchpad for a campaign to crack the
governments resolve. Some areas made
a call for eight days of strikes. Eight
days would have stretched any scabbing
operation beyond breaking point.
But for a month the union called no

further action.
This was even more worrying after
the sacking of EC member Ricky
Matthews. The lack of response to the
initial lock-out in Buckinghamshire only
encouraged management to go onto the
offensive.
The only possible answer to the
sacking of an FBU official for taking
legal strike action should have been an
escalation on our part. Following the
reps meeting in Liverpool every FBU
member has been expecting a serious
industrial response.
Up until the latest announcement this
hasnt happened and even though 24
hours is to be welcomed its far from the
escalation that is needed to win.

Rescue

Only a serious escalation of our strikes

can beat the government. And action
is the only practical way forward for
our union. The idea that a Labour
government will come to our rescue and
make things right just doesnt add up. Ed
Milibands Labour is committed to cuts
and Tory austerity, so even if they are
elected (and there are no guarantees) will
they really rush to our aid over pensions?
Miliband wont even push for a
debate in parliament!
We have to fight in the here and now
before the governments plans pass into
law. We need longer strikes, and an

escalating programme of action.

Its now urgent that those who want
to see a change of direction in this
dispute come together and organise
before the union suffers a big and
unnecessary setback. Thats why its
important that the London Region of
the FBU, alongside Manchester and
Merseyside, called an open meeting for
all firefighters who want to see a fight in
earnest.
We have the power to win this fight.
The Tories are not invincible. We have
support from across the trade union
movement and from the public. Its not
too late for us to turn things around.
For a fighting union and for a
bolder strategy on pensions, its time to
organise!

JOIN THE fbu

national demo
Tuesday 9 December,
11.30am, Oakfield
Road Park, Aylesbury,
Bucks HP20 1LL.
lReinstate Ricky Matthews
lBuild the strikes and beat
the Tories

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Firefighters 02/12/14

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