14.12.1995

Merseyside strikes set to continue

The strikes of Merseyside dockers and firefighters look set to continue into the new year. Financial and moral support is increasingly important over the holiday period.

Dockers

On December 12, tug boat crews staged a 24-hour strike in support of the dockers. The strike was intended to hinder the docking of the Atlantic Compass, a key vessel on the transatlantic container route. In the event the Atlantic compass was brought through the narrow lock gates to the container port without the aid of tugs. The unofficial 24-hour strike was a magnificent show of support from the 170 tug boatmen.

Despite rumours to the contrary the dock workers’ dispute remains unofficial, though the Transport and General Workers Union has given financial support. The dockers were sacked by Torside, one of the dock employers. Dockers continue to work for public support with marches and petitioning in the crowded city centre shopping areas.

Firefighters

The dispute has gone on so long that other brigades are threatened by cuts that follow this year’s standard spending assessment. The government’s financial squeeze now threatens up to 600 jobs in London and cuts in a number of other brigades. This pressure has led to growing calls for a recalled national conference to discuss the Merseyside dispute and the national threat to jobs and conditions.

On Merseyside plans are continuing for further strikes before and after the holiday period. The brigade committee has discussed calls from four branches for all-out indefinite strike action. The brigade committee took the call back to all branches and has decided to stick with 24-hour strikes up to January 1 when new contracts are due to come into force

The FBU has sent a letter to the fire authority disputing the legality of the issuing of new contracts. This initiative may result in fresh talks but is aimed at preventing a lockout developing on January 1. The chief fire officer seems to be preparing for an all-out confrontation to break the union but the Labour fire authority is less certain.

This division was shown up when the chief fire officer moved to discipline firefighters at one station, claiming that they had ignored a call prior to the start of a 24-hour strike.

The action had all the hallmarks of a move towards summary dismissal of the firefighters concerned. As soon as the fire authority was faced with a threat of all-out action if a dismissal took place, a compromise was reached. It seems the fire authority is still reluctant to give the chief officer its full backing and risk an all-out strike.

The strikes are either costing the authority more than the proposed savings of £700,000 or they are being financed by the Tory central government. In either case they are an indictment of the politics of the ‘new’ Labour council. The pressure is mounting towards a settlement or an escalation of the dispute early in the new year.

Chris Jones
Ex-chair of Merseyside FBU