27 October 2011

The 30th November strike and the Fire Brigades Union

On 18 October, the Fire Brigades Union issued a statement explaining why it is not balloting for strike action on 30 November. Socialist Party statement and a reply from Ian Leahair, FBU Executive Council Member for London.

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17 August 2011

Extracts from a statement from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU):

The Fire Brigades Union says fire crews are 'sickened' by the silence of politicians over fire service cuts...

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18 November 2010

Firefighters rally and lobby MPs against cuts

Over 2,000 firefighters packed into Westminster Central Hall on 17 November in a show of strength against the most brutal attacks on the fire service seen in decades...

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22 September 2010

Why London firefighters oppose 'reforms'

On Thursday 16 September, 2,500 firefighters marched through central London to a rally outside the London fire authority headquarters in Southwark. Sarah Sachs-Eldridge spoke to the Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack.

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7 September 2010

South Wales fire service cuts

Fire service managers are at risk of tripping over themselves in their haste to cut jobs and services in South Wales, writes Ross Saunders.

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20 August 2010

Chief Fire Officer plans to sack every London Firefighter!

Support London Firefighters: Despite the government's supposed commitment to 'protect frontline services', all London firefighters have been threatened with dismissal...

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4 August 2010

Fighting fire service cuts

Thirty local residents and trade unionists attended the Socialist Party's public meeting in Penarth, south Wales which was called about 15 jobs threatened from three fire stations as part of the misnamed 'risk reduction plan'.

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26 July 2010

Protest against Warwickshire fire service cuts

Over 200 firefighters and people from towns in Warwickshire gathered outside Warwickshire county council's meeting on 22 July to protest at their plans to close three local fire stations...

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21 July 2010

Wales: No to fire service cuts

"It shows how far they'll go in making these cuts-they're willing to put our lives at risk. All the rich mates of these politicians have to do is whistle and they get handed billions of pounds of our...

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3 March 2010

FBU general secretary speaks to The Socialist

Preparing for more battles over jobs and services: Greg Maughan interviews Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary - another public sector union facing cuts to jobs and services in the coming months, writes How has the FBU changed since you were elected in 2005?.

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20 October 2009

FBU strike to defend fire service

FIRE BRIGADES Union (FBU) members in South Yorkshire have shown strong support during the first of two 24-hour strikes against management attempts to impose new shift patterns under threat of mass dismissals...

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13 October 2009

Fight the fire service cuts

Firefighters across the country are facing a plethora of attacks on jobs, services, conditions and pay, writes Greg Maughan.

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11 October 2007

Cuts kill - no reductions in the fire service!

AFTER THE usual sham of 'consultation', Devon and Somerset Fire Authority have decided to axe 25 jobs in the fire service in Devon, despite a budget surplus of £1 million.... By Jim Lowe, Devon Socialist Party

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2 February 2006

Firefighters prepare to strike against pensions' robbery

Matt Wrack was elected general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in May 2005 as a left-wing challenger to the incumbent general secretary Andy Gilchrist...

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26 February 2005

No to fire service cuts

FIREFIGHTERS AND local residents in Barnsley have been campaigning to stop the closure of two major fire stations and the halving of fire appliances in others...

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11 December 2004

Fighting the fire service cuts

FIREFIGHTERS IN Coventry have started to fight back against plans to reduce night time fire cover in the city...

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29 May 2004

Greater Manchester Firefighters Stand Firm

AS WE went to press, 120 firefighters had been suspended across Greater Manchester. Last week a Salford watch refused to operate new equipment without the agreed pay rise. In the following hours, management scuttled from station to station, suspending...

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22 November 2003

Northern Ireland: Socialists Stand For Workers' Unity

THE SOCIALIST Party in Northern Ireland is challenging the right-wing and sectarian parties who have dominated Northern Ireland politics for generations by putting up two candidates (in East and South Belfast) for the Assembly elections on 26 November...

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7 June 2003

Firefighters' Battle For A Living Wage And To Save The Fire Service

Reject The Deal!: THERE WILL be a third special FBU conference in Glasgow on 12 June, to discuss the latest offer. The London region of the union is recommending rejection of this offer, which will be discussed at branch...

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7 June 2003

Government buries fire safety report

BY THE end of 2003, fire authorities across the country will have complied with one of the government's most contentious new directives, Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMP), writes Dave Simpson, branch secretary, FBU Gainsborough.

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