30.05.1996

Firefighters shun Labour

The temperature is starting to rise dramatically in the Fire Brigades Union, following a decision by firefighters in Essex and Derbyshire to stage a series of nine-hour strikes against proposed cuts in the levels of fire cover.

This will mean the reappearance of the ‘Green Goddess’ fire engines, as hundreds of soldiers and airforce ‘emergency’ workers are now being hurriedly trained to replace the striking fire crews.

Commenting on the outcome of the ballots (69% and 75% respectively), Dave Hicks, the FBU’s national officer, said: “This is a flavour of what is to come. Unless there is sufficient increase in funding next year, we will see this throughout the UK.”

Inside the FBU itself, there is growing discontent with the leadership - and with the Labour Party. When Tom Sawyer, Labour’s general secretary, addressed this year’s FBU conference he was met with stony silence from the delegates. But when FBU president Ronnie Scott told Sawyer to pass on the firefighters’ concern at the attacks being made by Labour councils, the conference erupted into applause for several minutes.

There is no doubt that Sawyer went back to the Labour NEC with a flea in his ear.

Most revealing, at the conference a motion from Greater Manchester called for a ‘review’ of the use of the political fund and the FBU’s relationship with the Labour Party. It called for consideration to be given to the possibility of funding alternative political parties - ie, ones that do not kick the working class in the teeth or attack FBU members attempting to defend their jobs.

Ken Cameron, speaking for the executive, rushed in to defend ‘official’ FBU policy, saying that the union had to work within the Labour Party, if it wanted to influence Tony Blair and company.

Unsurprisingly, this did not go down a bomb with the delegates, and the Manchester motion - calling for a more “discerning use” of political fund money - was carried. This sent a clear message to new Labour that it can no longer expect to automatically receive money from the unions.

FBU militants must maintain their fighting momentum. With determined action, and a healthy suspicion of the FBU tops, victory is possible.

Frank Vincent