FBU

Fire Brigades Union

Firefighters battle government austerity

Firefighters showed the government the depth of their anger over pensions and cuts last week when they successfully disrupted a planned media event around a new fire station in south London on 25 November. Fire minister Penny Mordaunt was met by 200 angry firefighters when she arrived at the new West Norwood fire station, blocking the entrance and preventing the car from getting in. As the vehicle sped away, cries of “1 – 0 to the FBU!” rang out. After police reinforcements arrived, the minister returned and managed to get into the building. However she was met with loud booing on the outside...

FBU: pensions fight still on!

Firefighters in England completed a 96 hour national strike over pensions as Solidarity went to press (31 Oct-4 Nov). Firefighters have now taken more than 10 days of strikes in the increasingly bitter dispute over pensions. Reports from picket lines across England have shown solid levels of support from firefighters and widespread public sympathy. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) had expected movement from the government after a series of talks with Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt. The government three times delayed laying the regulations to give itself time for a new offer. No new proposals were...

Support the firefighters' strike!

From 6pm tonight (31 October), members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will begin a four-day strike, part of their ongoing fight to stop attacks to their pensions.

As fellow public-service workers resisting austerity-driven cuts, London Underground staff should fully support the firefighters'...

Industrial survey

Articles: Breaking the pattern of defeat The crisis in Britain's biggest union Firefighters move towards national action The fruits of New-Realism Organising the rank-and-file Download PDF

Survey: education, diary of a tubeworker & labour news

Student debt explodes: HE, FE (Daisy Forest, Ed Whitby) Out Proud and Organising (Daisy Forest) Diary of a tubeworker: Phew, what a sell out! Troops used against firefighters dispute (Chris Jones) The rail sell out Strike against casual labour Defeated council plans library closure To download PDF click here

After 10 July, extend the action

10 July saw the biggest strike in Britain since the 30 November 2011 pensions strike. The strike, which involved hundreds of thousands of teachers, council workers, civil servants, fire fighters, and other public sector staff, shut down schools and local government services across the country. Workers’ Liberty members participating in the strike sent reports to Solidarity . In Leeds, activists say the number of pickets matched the levels of the 2011 strike. Around 4,000 attended a city centre rally. 65% of schools in Newcastle were closed to pupils, with almost all council facilities shut...

Firefighters begin eight days of strikes

Firefighters in England and Wales began strike action on eight consecutive days this week, in an increasingly acrimonious and protracted battle over pensions. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has organised strikes from 6 until 8 in the morning and 5 and 7 in the evening from Monday to Thursday, and on Monday week. Friday’s strikes are 6-8am and then 11pm-1am. On Saturday the strikes are 11am-1pm and 11pm-1am. On Sunday they are 5-7pm. The union also commences action short of a strike from 7pm on 21 July. The FBU said it called the extended action because the government is merely ploughing ahead...

Plan the fightback

The public sector strike on 10 July will be the biggest strike in Britain since the November 2011 strike over attacks to public sector pensions. Well over one million workers could take part. At the heart of the dispute is the low pay epidemic which afflicts millions of workers in Britain. According to research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the cost of maintaining a decent standard of living in the UK has increased by 46% since 2008, while wages have only increased by 9%. A couple with children now need to earn £40,574 to maintain a minimum standard of living, compared to less than £28...

Build for 10 July strike!

Members of the public sector union Unison have voted by a 59% majority to strike on 10 July against a 1% pay offer and for a rise of at least £1 an hour. In the week preceding the announcement of Unison’s ballot result, the National Union of Teachers confirmed it would join a 10 July strike. Strike ballot results from Unite, GMB, and the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) (all over public sector pay) are yet to be announced, and the Fire Brigades Union has a live ballot that will allow it to participate in a 10 July strike. Transport for London staff (employed in central TfL...

End the pay freeze! Build 10 July public sector strike

Senior bosses in the NHS have enjoyed an average pay rise of 6.1% over the last two years. Some have also received bonuses of up to £40,000, more than double the annual salary of many frontline NHS staff. A Daily Mirror study showed the overall increase in non-basic pay (bonuses, overtime, and other perks) for senior NHS staff in 2013 was 36%. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has refused to follow the advice of the NHS Pay Review Body and give frontline workers a pay increase. The Review Body was recommending just one per cent. Even that was too much for a government committed to...

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