12.02.2004

Rank and file 'reclaim' FBU

Following a meeting on Friday February 6 in central London, a new organisation has been launched by rank and file members of the Fire Brigades Union, with the purpose of reclaiming their union.

The meeting, attended by FBU members from all over the UK, voted to support the setting up of Grassroots FBU, which stresses that it is not a breakaway organisation, but aims to represent the views of firefighters and control staff throughout the UK who feel betrayed at the surrendering of the national pay campaign last year by the FBU leadership and wish to see a more democratic union.

The national convenor of the new body is Andy Dark, while its chair is Steve Godward, former vice-chair of the Socialist Alliance. Comrade Godward has just won his appeal against dismissal from the fire service on trumped up charges. Also involved is another prominent SA comrade, London FBU militant Matt Wrack, author of Whose money is it anyway? and a member of the Socialist Party.

Paul Embery, a member of the group’s steering committee, said: “It’s no secret that, for most members, the outcome of the pay dispute was bitterly disappointing. The leadership of our union managed to take a nine-to-one mandate in favour of industrial action and turn it into a final settlement that can only be described as totally inadequate. Throughout the dispute, their strategy was deeply flawed.

“Aside from the issue of the derisory pay increase - which itself is yet to be honoured - the deal has led to the tearing up of our conditions of service and paved the way for swingeing cuts in fire cover. Consequently, we need a union equal to the task of fighting those cuts. Grassroots FBU is in favour of a different kind of leadership, but we also want to encourage a more active and better organised membership.”

The dispute, says comrade Embery, also highlighted a serious lack of democracy in the FBU: “Members feel that senior officials have become totally disconnected, and things at the top have become very cloak and dagger. We will fight to win this once proud union back for its members.”

As a reaction to the government’s treatment of firefighters during the strike, several FBU brigade committees have submitted motions to the union’s annual conference in May, calling for the FBU to disaffiliate from Labour. Such resolutions are likely to command huge support amongst rank and file FBU members disenchanted by the government’s pro-big business, anti-trade union agenda.

Following the disaffiliation of the RMT, it is essential that Grassroots FBU stands against the understandable urge to break the Labour link. It should follow the advice contained in comrade Wrack’s SA pamphlet and strive to ensure that the FBU’s political fund is democratised, rather than walking away from the battles in the Labour Party.