Workers' Liberty

The last few years have seen the British National Party make creeping electoral gains in local government. The foothold they now enjoy in borough, town and parish councils is directly related to two factors: their turn away from confrontational street politics to agitation around community concerns and the inability of existing anti-fascist campaign groups (Searchlight and the SWP-dominated Unite Against Fascism) to counter this new strategy.

In July 2007 three retired firefighters were told by the Fire Authority in London (LFEPA) that their pensions would stop. This arose because of changes to the rules of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme. The three were told that, because they were still capable of performing some duties, specifically, because they were still fit to do a desk job, they were not eligible to receive a pension.

By colin foster

The new leadership of the Fire Brigades Union has launched a big campaign to mobilise firefighters to defend their pension rights. The FBU is organising a round of district mass meetings, in early February.

LONDON action called off

By a PCS Socialist Caucus member in London

The planned strike action over job cuts in the London Department of Work and Pensions has been called off, despite a strong mandate from the membership for action.

Please attend the emergency meeting on Monday 31st (details below); sign the petition (also below); download it to use it in your workplace; and circulate details of both meeting and petition urgently, as quickly as you can, among public sector trade unionists.

DWP jobs strike: why more delay?

By a PCS Socialist Caucus member in London

On 21 September, members of the PCS civil service union in the Department of Work and Pensions in London voted by a three-to-one margin for strike action against the Government's plans for job cuts.

FBU press release

Nottinghamshire fire crews have voted four to one (81%) in favour of taking industrial action short of a strike over moves to force them to provide an ambulance service. The Fire Brigades Union says the fire authority is trying to impose new ambulance duties without negotiation.

Maybe for the first time ever, a trade union has tried to block its members’ access to a website, in a move similar to the Chinese government’s restrictions on Internet access.

A grassroots activist, socialist and outspoken critic of the current FBU leadership has been elected General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, defeating incumbent Andy Gilchrist. Matt Wrack beat Gilchrist by 12,833 votes to 7,259, in a poll which saw 40% of the union’s membership voting, a high turn-out for a union election.

Fire Brigades Union press release
6 May 2005

Matt Wrack has been elected General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union. He defeated Andy Gilchrist in a secret postal ballot conducted by Electoral Reform Balloting services in which over 40% of members voted.

By Martin Thomas

On 23 March, and maybe on 26 April, public sector workers will be striking against the New Labour government’s move to “level down” their pensions nearer to the misery already enforced in the private sector. The civil servants’ union PCS and local government members of the public service union Unison and other unions have all returned ballot majorities for a strike on 23 March. The teachers’ union NUT is balloting for a strike on 26 April, and has approached other education unions to join it on that day.

By kate Ahrens

In local government, Unison, TGWU, Amicus and UCATT are taking action on 23 March following votes for strike ranging from 70% to 83%. Alongside them will be the civil service union PCS, and even the small senior civil service union FDA, who had not had a strike ballot in 20 years but have voted to take action now. NIPSA, the Northern Ireland public services union, is also taking action.

By Lily Kitching

The London Fire Brigades Union has called a demonstration on Thursday 17 March to protest about fire service cuts in London. Ten areas in central London could see fire crews cut as part of a package of measures first announced last year.

Two items from Hackney TUC's website that might be of interest.

• Report on the local protest on the TUC's day of action in defence of pensions.
• An article about the local impact of the proposed fire service cuts.

Called by London FBU.

Against the closure of Manchester Square Fire Station & the loss of 180 firefighter jobs
Keep the fire cover in central London

Matt Wrack, a militant activist from the London region, has been elected as the Fire Brigades Union’s (FBU) new Assistant General Secretary, and will soon challenge Andy Gilchrist for General Secretary position.

Matt Wrack, a militant activist from the London region, has won a resounding victory to become the Fire Brigades Union's new Assistant General Secretary.

From London FBU:

As the public consultation exercise on what even the Evening Standard refers to as "the ironically titled London Safety Plan" approaches its final week, it is clear that opposition to the proposed cuts is growing from across the political spectrum and from business organisations, trade unions plus community and residents' groups.

The public services union Unison will ballot its members in local government for a strike in defence of pensions.

On Friday 12 November 2004, eight unions closed their political fund review ballots - ASLEF, BECTU, CATU, CWU, FBU, GMB, TSSA and USDAW. All achieved overwhelming yes votes, with an average 77% affirmative vote.

By Nick Holden

The leadership of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has conceded that Paul Woolstenholmes, the National Officer suspended in a witch-hunt against those who criticised the leadership during the pay dispute, has no case to answer, and can return to work.

The leadership of the Fire Brigades Union has finally conceded that Paul Woolstenholmes, the FBU National Officer suspended for over three months in a witch-hunt directed against those who were critical of the leadership during the pay dispute, has no case to answer.

By Nick Holden

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) leaders are claiming a victory in the final stages of their two year long pay dispute. They say management are finally paying previously-agreed pay increases from the 2003 pay deal.

• Wembley steel workers sacked

• Met Uni lecturers strike
• Swansea council strike set to escalate
• Fire pay dispute settled

By Joan Trevor

Pay talks between local authority employers and the Fire Brigades Union broke down at the start of August, with the union claiming that New Labour had packed a meeting to wreck them.

By Nick Holden

As the dust settles from the FBU's decision last month to disaffiliate from the Labour Party, union activists continue to prepare for a possible strike over pay, with at least one hand tied behind their backs by their own union leadership.

Anger at the Government's treatment of firefighters since the 2002 pay dispute came to a head on 17 June when the Fire Brigades Union conference voted overwhelmingly to disaffiliate from the Labour Party.

By Nick Holden

After suspending conference on 11 May the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) exec went into extensive negotiations with the employers over the conditions they wanted to implement in stage two of the 2002 pay award.

The Fire Brigades Union conference has voted approximately five to one in favour of disaffiliating from the Labour Party. A formal card vote is still being counted as I write.

The defeat of the union Executive's alternative proposal, to remain affiliated but open up the possibility of supporting some non-Labour candidates, was ensured by the members' utter frustration with being repeatedly let down by this once popular and reputedly left-wing union leadership.