www.socialistworker.co.

uk

turn fbu militancy into

strike action to win!
A

Militant minority. Thats

how Tory fire minister Penny
Mordaunt arrogantly dismissed
the 78 percent of FBU members who
voted for strikes to defend pensions.
Mordaunts dismissal has been met
with defiance. Many FBU members,
including general secretary Matt Wrack,
have declared themselves fully paid up
members of the militant minority which is
determined to resist government attacks.
Conference now has the opportunity to
throw Mordaunts insults back in her face
and vote to get strikes back on to win.
London, Greater Manchester, Essex
and Merseyside have all argued for
a more robust strike strategy and
London has tabled three motions to
conference calling for this.
The motions call for more strikes
with a maximum of 28 days between,
a withdrawal from national recall
arrangements and continuation of
national strike action for the duration of
any lockout such as that in Bucks which
led to the sacking of EC member Ricky
Matthews.
Delegates should support motions
calling for more strikes.

Talks

When we escalated to four days back to

back last summer Chief Officers were
squealing with pain.
Scabbing operations were stretched
to breaking point and further protracted
strikes had the potential to win.
Unfortunately our union leaders
failed to press home our advantage and
instead settled for talks with the new fire
minister (Mordaunt) they said was easier
to work with.
But Mordaunt hasnt given an inch,
despite being exposed as a liar to
parliament on no job-no pension.
This shows that despite the excellent
political campaigning by FBU members
we need more than debates in parliament.
We also need to do more than demand
a commitment from Labour to defend
our pensions. Labour backs Tory
spending limits.
That means we face more cuts
whoever is elected.
For too long our union has fought with
one hand behind its back. Taking Scotland

Penny Mourdant got a warm welcome at West Norwood fire station last year

out of the fight seriously undermined us,

and the strikes called have been too short
and infrequent to deliver the hammer
blows needed to win.
Moreover, the stop-start nature of
strikes has undermined our momentum
and given the bosses the breathing space
to launch more attacks.
Essex, Lancashire and Lincolnshire
are all in the firing line for cuts now
but we all face these attacks.
5,000 jobs and some 50 stations
have been lost and, as the EC says in its
statement, we are facing the deepest attack
since the 1945 post-war settlement.
We must all recognise that the
strongest power we have as workers is
our collective ability to withdraw our
labour and strike.
Our union leaders have called a
national demonstration on
25 February which every member
should aim to get to.
Conference should demand our union
leaders call national strike action to
coincide with the demo. That will help

Photo: Julie Sherry

maximise the demos turnout and impact.

Strikes are the weapon the
government fears most and it is this
weapon we must wield to win.
National demonstration

Rage against
racism
Stop the scapegoating of immigrants
No to Islamophobia
Yes to diversity
No to anti-Semitism
Saturday 21 March
London: Assemble 12 noon, central
London
Glasgow: Assemble 11am, George
Square
Cardiff: Assemble 11.30am, Clare
Gardens, Riverside

Called by Stand up to Racism

Backed by Unite, Unison, PCS, CWU and UCU unions.

Also by Unite Against Fascism, Stand Up to UKIP
and Love Music Hate Racism

I would like to get Socialist Worker regularly

I want to join the Socialist Workers Party
Name.................................................................................................
Address..............................................................................................
.........................................................................................................
Phone................................................................................................
Email.................................................................................................

Firefighters 02/15

Return to Membership, PO Box 42184, London SW8 2WD or email membership@swp.org.uk

Have you got a stor y for us? Use the email address above, or call 020 7819 1180 (Editorial)