Don't let the FBU strike be a casualty of war

Submitted by Janine on 25 March, 2003 - 10:39

War on two fronts?

As it made the final preparations for war on Iraq, the Blair government must have let out a collective sigh of relief. With the March 20th firefighters' strike cancelled and the FBU executive recommending that firefighters accept the employers' latest pay offer (16% over three years with strings), the threat of a major class struggle coinciding with the war seemed to have vanished. It looked like the government had effectively defeated the most significant piece of industrial action for years. That was until the FBU special conference went and ruined everything!
Meeting in Bournemouth on March 19th, delegates from FBU branches voted resoundingly to overturn their executive's recommendation and reject the pay offer. (Another conference, meeting two weeks later, will decide whether to contiue strike action.) This was immediately followed by a barrage of patriotic abuse from the right-wing press - and a declaration from John Prescott that he would legislate to impose the settlement - i.e. ban further strikes.

In any circumstances, the firefighters would have been right to defy their leadership and reject the employers' offer. 16% over three years, conditional on numerous 'modernisation' measure (i.e. cuts, deteriorating conditions and attacks on the union) is not only nowhere near the 40% rise the union has demanded - it is a straightforward attack on firefighters.

At the best of times, a defeat for the FBU would cripple the burgeoning labour movement revival by undermining other workers' confidence to fight.

But now, with war on Iraq in full swing, there is all the more reason for the FBU to stand firm. Capitalist wars are invariably accompanied by calls for 'civil peace' and accusation of national disloyalt aimed at workers who refuse to suspend their struggles - this one is no different. In the coming weeks, firefighters will be under immense pressure to prove their patriotism by abandoning their strike. The labour movement should reaffirm its solidarity with the FBU by replying; 'the bosses will not give up their struggle during the war, so neither will we. If you can't fight a war on two fronts, stop your bloody invasion of Iraq and spend the money on something useful!'

Blair, Prescott and co are terrified of a renewed FBU strike, precisely because they know that industrial action by the firefighters will make it very difficult to continue military action in Iraq. They are quite clear - even if the trade union leaders haven't caught up yet - that it is working class action which really has the power to stop their war.

They also know that, with dozens of Labour MPs and most trade unions in revolt against Blair's support for the war, Blairite domination of the labour movement is in troubel. A victory for the FBU will be a victory not just for the firefighters, but against the whole of Blair's pro-war, anti-working class agenda.

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