Prescott's Law : A threat to the whole labour movement - SPECIAL UPDATE

As we put this article online, the Blair government has launched a new offensive against the firefighters. Despite the repeated efforts of the firefighters to negotiate a settlement to their dispute, time and again the government has intervened with blatant acts of provocation. Now, Deputy Prime Minister Prescott has announced his intention to change the law to take direct control of the fire service and impose a settlement on the firefighters. This would mean the imposition of the Bain proposals, the derisory pay offer of 4% and thousands of job cuts, resulting in the closure of fire stations and the undermining of the fire service. This must not be allowed. Furthermore, this latest provocation is a warning of what other public sector workers can expect from Blair and co. Such measures are a threat to the entire labour movement, and must be answered by the movement as a whole.

Prescott says that the government has lost patience with the firefighters. Yet the latest opinion poll results show 63% of the population entirely in support of the firefighters (MORI 21/01/02). This reflects not only the genuine support of the majority for the just demands of the firefighters, but also that increasingly disillusionment with Blair is turning to anger and open opposition. In reality it is Prescott, Blair and co who are out of touch. No-one supports their war in Iraq, and no-one supports their attacks on public sector workers. We have run out of patience with this government and their Tory policies. This far and no further!

For all their talk of “modernisation” they intend to use the powers of the 1947 Fire Services Act - which was repealed in 1959 - to impose their savage cuts on our fire service. What they mean by modernisation is cost cutting and hang the consequences for public safety. This same policy of modernisation will be applied to all public services, if they are allowed to get away with it.

This new threat requires an immediate response. If Blair and co want a fight then they will get one. If they think the firefighters will back down in the face of these bully boy tactics then they have got another thing coming. The FBU, who have demonstrated their willingness to negotiate at every turn, must now meet fire with fire. FBU General Secretary Andy Gilchrist said Prescott’s announcement came as “no surprise” because the fire service minister had already told chief fire officers last week that there would not be a negotiated settlement. “Imposing a settlement by legislation simply highlights their unwillingness to negotiate” the FBU leader concluded. Just to confirm the intransigent position of the government Prescott concluded his statement claiming that the FBU had walked away from talks by saying “For the avoidance of doubt, the government’s position will not change.” The government has no intention of negotiating a settlement. Their intention all along has been to break the firefighters, and then move on to an all out assault on public services.

However, Prescott’s proposed legislation will not break the resolve of the firefighters who are now fully aware that they are fighting not only for decent wages, but also to save the fire service from the suicidal cuts proposed by the government. Faced with such an unprecedented attack the FBU must now take all-out action, this is the only language Blair and co understand. They are not willing to listen to reason, they are not willing to negotiate, they are not willing to listen to public opinion, very well then they will have to face action. With the overwhelming backing of public opinion and the support of the trade union movement an all-out strike by firefighters can force Blair and co to back down.

So far this dispute has cost the government £70 million, and is now running at a cost of approximately £1 million per day. However that is of little concern to a government preparing to spend millions on an adventure in Iraq. Indeed they will see this as money well spent if they are able to push through the rest of their modernising proposals for public services as a result. No doubt it is the preparations for war which has encouraged them to speed up their attacks on the fire service. While thousands of British troops are being shipped off to the gulf, 19,000 are kept behind to provide emergency cover during the firefighters’ walkouts. Prescott’s legal moves are also undoubtedly designed to gain access to the ‘red’ fire engines during disputes. However, so far the government has not been able to find anyone, including the army and the police, willing to take these engines out of striking fire stations.

All trade unionists should move resolutions of support for the firefighters, and call on their own unions to organise solidarity action in the face of these outrageous attacks. The firefighters action must be spread, to show Blair and co that the entire labour movement stands behind the firefighters. Labour Party members should likewise move resolutions condemning these threats and demanding their local Labour MPs vote against any such proposal in Parliament. Furthermore Party members should back calls by the Campaign Group to organise a recall Labour Party Conference. The Labour leaders have picked a fight with the unions. Then the unions must fight back, not just industrially but politically, inside the Labour Party, to reclaim it from the Tory clique who have hijacked it. Hand in hand with the struggle of all trade unionists to support the firefighters must go a struggle to reclaim the Labour Party. The fight for socialist policies in the Labour Party, and the fight to defend public services and win fair pay for firefighters are two sides of the same coin.

It is clear that Prescott and co wish to impose a settlement on the firefighters. This represents a threat to the entire labour movement. If they are allowed to get away with this then who will they attack next? Will teachers find their pay imposed on them? Will nurses be forced by legislation to accept cuts in the NHS? No, this must be stopped now!

This assault on public services and public sector workers must be stopped in its tracks. The TUC must convene an emergency meeting of the General Council. From the beginning the TUC have voiced their support for the firefighters. Now those words need to be turned into action. The firefighters must not stand alone. Their fight is our fight. Any attempt to impose a settlement to this dispute must be met with the determined opposition of the entire labour movement. That means the TUC calling a 24 hour general strike if there is any attempt to impose a settlement on the firefighters.

For their own sake and for the sake of the entire movement the firefighters must win.
Enough is enough! Blair and co have gone too far. The entire movement must now stand shoulder to shoulder with the firefighters.

• Victory to the firefighters!
• For All Out Action Against Prescott’s Law
• No to Bain. For 30k with no strings
• No more attacks on public services.
• TUC prepare to call a 24 hour General Strike
• Trade unions reclaim the Labour Party.