Firemen to accept deal - damn that bastard

[Invader Zim]

That bastard Andy Gilchrist sold them out, they should be getting there 40% increase not that shitty no good 16% pay rise... Its peenuts!

source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2981942.stm)

[Dirty Commie]

That kind of deal is $hit, fire fighters deserve to make as much as an oil executive, it is appaling to see that pro athletes make millions while fire fighters make damn near nothng.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

I was just about to open this thread. But see your disgust has beaten mine to it.

It's a disgrace. We endured 9 months of strikes, confident that this was a real movement that would not give in. 9 months of strikes usually does tell you that.

But they have given in. They say they are going to demand 40%. Drop it and say they'll negotiate at 30%. Now they have accepted 16% over how many years? I believe I heard it was 4?

You're right, it is peanuts. But this isn't the fault of the government. The Union has, like you said, sold it's workers out. It has not followed through with it's promises and the firemen have endured this 9 month ordeal for nothing.

I'm waiting to hear developments in terms of "modernisation". Will the Union now accept this too?

[Invader Zim]

I thought it was 2 years, but the none bonuses 4 years... basicaly thats when they are going to modernise the service. Which Gilchrist said would not be use as a bargening tool... lieing bastard.

[Invader Zim]

You know what the really sickening part is that there are at a guess (all it is Im not sure) 50,000 firement in the country probably far far less but say for argument that many.

they want a 40% increase which brings there wage from around £20,000 (rounded to nearest 5 grand) a year to £30,000. 10,000 more a year not that much...

£10,000 x 50,000 firemen = £500,000,000 that seams a lot of money doesnt it?

But put to scale it is only £350,000,000 more than the government spent on a giant tent in the middle of London. I think that the total bill for that came to £150,000,000.

Its a complete disgrace.

[Sandanista]

We were speakin to the firemen yesterday and thy were sickened that gilchrist is acceptin the deal, the firemen need a real hard arse union leader, like arthur scargill or somethin, somebody unbendable, like all the unions need

[Invader Zim]

Quote: from Sandanista on 12:53 am on June 13, 2003
We were speakin to the firemen yesterday and thy were sickened that gilchrist is acceptin the deal, the firemen need a real hard arse union leader, like arthur scargill or somethin, somebody unbendable, like all the unions need

Arthur Scargill lost though and the industry was dismantled, he failed.

We were speakin to the firemen yesterday and thy were sickened that gilchrist is acceptin the deal,

But yes I know a Fireman and he is not happy, but he thought he should follow the Unions decision.

[rumblefish86]

Me and my freinds supported the firefighters strike and we went down to the fire station to show our support for them. After all the strikes and protests 16% barely seems worth all that effort. After everything Gilchrist said, hes gone and sold them out for far less than they are worth.

I thought he had more principals than that, im disapointed in Gilchrist.

[Kez]

this will merely mean that the FBU turn even more left and if we can convince them to stay in LP will be a massive bulwark against blairism, they wud be the spearhead to smash the right in our party no doubt

[Invader Zim]

Quote: from TavareeshKamo on 3:22 pm on June 13, 2003
this will merely mean that the FBU turn even more left and if we can convince them to stay in LP will be a massive bulwark against blairism, they wud be the spearhead to smash the right in our party no doubt

Labour is nolonger the party that represents the British workers, they forfitted that when they turned "new" labour. We must follow the new voice of the people the socialist alliance.

[Kez]

HAHAHAHHAHA, u are one funny fucker

the socialist alliance is on the verge of splitting, with the SP already having left and the SPGB calling it a tool of the SWP

fuck the Socialist Alliance, i wudnt vote them even if we had a candidate from those jokes.

that was one funny as fuck comment tho

[scott thesocialist]

i think we have to go back to the start of the firemans dispute, i fully believe that John Presscot wanted and got the firemen to strike Andy Gilchrist couldn't and didn't see it coming, the reason JP wanted trhe strike was to prove to the public that the fire service could survive with smaller numbers, putter forward his idea for job cuts.Of course we know that cuts will mean deaths but the public are easyly mislead, Andy Gilchrist was played for the fool that he is and the only way out was to give in to the JP.I agree we need move hard liners who will stand up for the people but who?

[Kez]

this is why we need to enter the existing trade unions and kick gilchrist et al out and put in marxist trade union leaders, proper ones with intent of revolution, not motherfuckin reforms

[scott thesocialist]

so how do you propose we do this?

[Kez]

pack the unions with members and "patiently explain" to them as lenin said.
we must explain to them that they shud kick out the right and radicalise them, as we radicalise the members, we radicalise the union, with a radicalised union we can mobilise, with mibilisation we have revolution