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Yes most were probably from working class backgrounds, many had been schooled in trade unionism ( totally different from being a member of a trade union) before they joined the FBU and the fire service.
Their family and friends were also likely to have similar principled views
Shoot forward to Maggies children and then again to the 2005 era.
Today many members of the fire service come from a background where collective bargaining is unknown
Individual greed before collective need and sticking together.
The fire service is made up from people from all walks of life
They mix with friends for whom going on strike us anathema
Back in the seventies our families and friends supported us financially during 77 and the thought of breaking a strike would have been met by derision from your family and friends
Today many people in the fire service are not even in the FBU and their family and friends would be just as likely to take a dim view if they did go on strike.
Large mortgages and finance for cars means that going into work during a strike is more important than sticking with your colleagues.
More and more firefighters have aspirations to become senior managers and a participating in strike puts paid to that these days.
When everyone stuck together , even DOs and SDOs , they couldn't pick anyone out
Bullying is more rife now today than when there was total commitment , and often its former colleagues who don't hold allegiance to Labour or trade unionism that are the ones doing the bullying.
The FBU would readily acknowledge that many of its members don't vote Labour
The evidence is there on every occasion that they try to defend the conditions of service of its members and they are undermined by those that don't espouse trade unionism
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Nightstaffer, post: 383655, member: 10168 Wrote:Yes most were probably from working class backgrounds, many had been schooled in trade unionism ( totally different from being a member of a trade union) before they joined the FBU and the fire service.
Their family and friends were also likely to have similar principled views
Shoot forward to Maggies children and then again to the 2005 era.
Today many members of the fire service come from a background where collective bargaining is unknown
Individual greed before collective need and sticking together.
The fire service is made up from people from all walks of life
They mix with friends for whom going on strike us anathema
Back in the seventies our families and friends supported us financially during 77 and the thought of breaking a strike would have been met by derision from your family and friends
Today many people in the fire service are not even in the FBU and their family and friends would be just as likely to take a dim view if they did go on strike.
Large mortgages and finance for cars means that going into work during a strike is more important than sticking with your colleagues.
More and more firefighters have aspirations to become senior managers and a participating in strike puts paid to that these days.
When everyone stuck together , even DOs and SDOs , they couldn't pick anyone out
Bullying is more rife now today than when there was total commitment , and often its former colleagues who don't hold allegiance to Labour or trade unionism that are the ones doing the bullying.
The FBU would readily acknowledge that many of its members don't vote Labour
The evidence is there on every occasion that they try to defend the conditions of service of its members and they are undermined by those that don't espouse trade unionism
Fine post ns, I only have one critism you seem to be discussing FBU members in isolation. All of what you so well put together applies evenly throughout working people today. The world has changed, and in response to those changes people have changed also. If there is any way back to something resembling our time, it can only come from a fully integrated trade union movement acting in unison. But in this globalised world I see very little chance of this. 
We all have opinions, thank god they are not all the same, or there would be no debate.
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It's not just the FBU
The generation following us have no interest in collective action
Latest phone, What's App, X-box , yep thirty somethings playing kids games, nice car ( well some)
They won't look up from the screens to see what is really going on
Pleasing to see that a big chunk of Corbyns new supporters were drawn from younger people , so maybe , because he believes what he says and they seem to like what he says he can attract and maybe inspire them to take an interest in politics when no one over the last fifteen years has.
I hope so
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Nightstaffer, post: 383661, member: 10168 Wrote:It's not just the FBU
The generation following us have no interest in collective action
Latest phone, What's App, X-box , yep thirty somethings playing kids games, nice car ( well some)
They won't look up from the screens to see what is really going on
Pleasing to see that a big chunk of Corbyns new supporters were drawn from younger people , so maybe , because he believes what he says and they seem to like what he says he can attract and maybe inspire them to take an interest in politics when no one over the last fifteen years has.
I hope so
Well I hope you are right ns, I really do.
I was very impressed with Bernie Saunders when I was in the US in March, I never thought I would see the day when a man with his views would be so well received over there. Possibly times are a changing ns, fingers crossed.
We all have opinions, thank god they are not all the same, or there would be no debate.
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How many members in Scotland support the Labour party.....I would say very few after their conduct up to the 2014 referendum.
Scottish members were also instructed to remain neutral during their referendum and here we have Matt financially supporting a party that shares a platform with the Tory party.
This referendum is like picking your own execution....gas or rope....it will be the same outcome...
Reasons for staying
Blair
Major
Cameron
Osborne
CBI
The banks
big business
Obama...............................all good reasons for leaving if you ask me!
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BS 'Scottish members were also instructed to remain neutral during their referendum'
Careful now BS ....People in glass houses.... 
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Regional Committees can affiliate to whoever they want as long as it is agreed by the Regional Committee.
Members have no say
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yebut, post: 384199, member: 8644 Wrote:Regional Committees can affiliate to whoever they want as long as it is agreed by the Regional Committee.
Members have no say
Yebut if the fbu had affiliated to the Tory party you would be on here screaming blue murder. Just think there are firefighters who don't think like you and I and vote Tory. How must they feel. The fbu should not affiliate to any political party because not all of their members concur on who to vote for.
And you say the members have no say, well they should, they are the union, not the office bearers.
We all have opinions, thank god they are not all the same, or there would be no debate.
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bill.advanced, post: 384201, member: 10308 Wrote:Yebut if the fbu had affiliated to the Tory party you would be on here screaming blue murder. Just think there are firefighters who don't think like you and I and vote Tory. How must they feel. The fbu should not affiliate to any political party because not all of their members concur on who to vote for.
And you say the members have no say, well they should, they are the union, not the office bearers.
Just stating a fact Bill, not voicing an opinion
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yebut, post: 384204, member: 8644 Wrote:Just stating a fact Bill, not voicing an opinion
Yes I realised that yebut, and so was I .
Sorry yebut, but the days of automatic affiliation to labour are over. Members come from the full spectrum of political persuasion.
At the very least if the fbu wants to be affiliated to anything the members should be consulted and a vote taken.
After all that's what the Greeks called democracy, something we should all value, regardless of our political persuasion.
We all have opinions, thank god they are not all the same, or there would be no debate.
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