Scottish officials at Conservative conference

[bill.advanced]

Why not just park ' the Ring of Fire ' battle bus outside?

Or is this a more genteel refined "let's get away from the militant image and enter an intelligent grown up debate" type of approach

What is the aim of the stall

I aggree ns.
But we are living in different times from ours.
Unfortunately the FBU and the whole trade union movement are toothless in today's world. Look at the RMT strikes, 90% of southern trains are still running with 40% on merseyside and northern lines. The world has moved on ns, it's a different place now.
I see no harm in the FBU attending so long as no costs are involved.
It would be nice if someone can confirm either way on this matter.

Gone are the days of unions having some influence this is what they have been reduced to. Who would want to be a trade union official in today's world. You get it from both sides now, shafted by the employers and ridiculed by a beleaguered membership, who feel alienated from their trade union.

[Tornado]

The FBU did pay
To set up a stall at
the Tory conference
They hired a space
Inside the venue

Costs would also
Include transport
Of stall and of
Setting up and
Of course travel
Expenses for the
Officials attending

Are these the costs
You ask about

[bill.advanced]

The FBU did pay
To set up a stall at
the Tory conference
They hired a space
Inside the venue

Costs would also
Include transport
Of stall and of
Setting up and
Of course travel
Expenses for the
Officials attending

Are these the costs
You ask about

Yes tornado and thanks for that confirmation.
Totally against this myself.
Surely the FBU have better things to do with limited resources than feed the enemy.
Just my opinion on this matter.

[drew p cock]

Just another bit to fling into the mix. The FBU used to give Scottish Labour near £5k a year and the SNP £4.8K a year. That's not exactly benefited us. Labour had us on strike and the new service has been slashed under the SNP.

The tories may very well be c**** but they've been c**** down south slashing brigade numbers. The only direct negative I can think of is the pensions issue coming north as well. Other than that most of the blame for the state of the service lies squarely with its new masters.

[Nightstaffer]

Let's be clear about this "Labour had us on strike " myth.

The FBU called strikes only when a Labour Govt was in power.

The govt of the day didn't MAKE firefighters go on strike .
In 77 we were promised a decent rise but pay rises were limited to 10% per annum ( honest)

The FBU challenged that, called out a government .
Put a national govt against a national strike
We held out for ten weeks

In 2002 the FBU demanded a 40% rise no strings.
The Labour govt offered 16% no strings

The FBU called a strike
The govt knew they could beat the FBU if they ever called a strike again after 1977.

The FBU leadership marched into the " modernisation" agenda cannons fronted by Bain
And got 16% and more strings than the London Symphony orchestra

The Labour govt are no friends of the FBU , they were happy to use us as an example to other trade unions and for New Labour to disassociate itself from trade unionism

But make no mistake we called the strikes not the Labour Govt

[bill.advanced]

Ns for gods sakes it was nine weeks not ten.
Nine was bad enough

But spot on ns, we created both disputes.
Labour offered us what we settled for before the 77-8 strike.
We eventually got a 60% rise over three years and a reduction in hours.

In 2002 we asked for the impossible, and got shafted.
Labour did not initiate that strike, we did.

[1977]

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Look at the state of that pr1ck at least the other guy has a tie on.