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O
n 10 July FBU members will
be taking national strike
action alongside up to 1.5
million workers from across the
public sector.
Whether the issue is pension
or pay, we are all ghting the same
battle against austerity.
Te following week sees our most
sustained period of action yet, with
the start of eight days of strikes.
Tis escalation in the frequency
of action is welcome. But will it be
enough to win the dispute?
It seems that since the Budget
there has been a hardening in the
governments position.
Whereas before there were hints
that a deal was close at hand, we now
seem to be further away than ever.
Momentum
Te stop/start nature of our
campaign so far has made it more
dicult to develop and maintain
momentum on our side.
It has also taken the pressure o
the government, giving them time
to press ahead with attacks, like the
increase in contributions last April.
Te strength of our strikes is
dependent on the active participation
of the membership.
Arguments for a more active
strike, the need to organise picket
lines, and to develop solidarity
networks around every re station
have been made more dicult by the
sporadic nature of the action.
In the end its about the action
needed to win.
We need to make the next set of
strikes as successful as possible.

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Firefighters 18/06/14
But the action is still limited, and the
government is determined to win.
We have to be just as resolute.
Its not as if we can wait for Ed
Miliband to save us. Labour leaders
have made it clear that in oce they
will stick to Tory spending plans.
Tat means the attacks will continue.
We need sustained action.
Te talk after April was of a
concerted escalation, of the gloves
coming o.
Tere is every reason now to
extend our action. We need to name
dates quickly and make sure the
strikes are of a longer duration.
And on 10 July FBU members
must make a concerted eort to
attend the demonstrations taking
place in so many towns and cities so
that we can both contribute to and
benet from the growing mood of
resistance in the public sector.
Solidarity
Its also a chance to develop the
networks of solidarity around our
strike that we will need to win this, and
future battles.
We can win this ght but that will
take us being prepared to step up the
ght even further.
STEP UP THE
ACTION TO WIN
Part of the FBU delegation on last months Peoples Assembly protest Photo: Ben Windsor
After the latest round of action