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W
e were right to escalate our strike
action. Weve now got proof that
more strikes get results.
As our eight days of discontinuous
strike action moves to a close the union
can look back on the last ten days as the
most successful of the dispute so far.
On 10 July the FBU joined over 1.5
million other public sector workers.
Tousands of our members joined
demonstrations in towns and cities up
and down the country to protest at the
governments austerity attacks.
Aftermath
In the aftermath of that strike the
government came back to the table
with the derisory 19 June oer that was
rejected last year. What is signicant
is not the oer itself, but that they felt
they had to come back to the table with
something.
Perhaps more signicantly, the
wannabe union busting Chief Ocer
of Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue

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Firefighters 17/07/14
was forced into a totally humiliating
climbdown after threatening to lock
FBU members out of re stations for
the whole eight days of the strike.
Victory
Having boasted on social media that
the FBU were not going to dictate how
I run the re service he found himself
under huge pressure from the union
and other national employers. Te last
straw seems to have been a total failure
to provide sucient scab crews to cover
eight days.
Tis is an important victory at an
important time for the union.
All this fully vindicated the decision
to call the eight days of strikes. And we
should remember that it took a push by
FBU members to get the leadership to
call the action.
Now a head of steam has been built
up around our dispute we cannot aord
to let it dissipate. It would be a huge
step backwards to allow any signicant
time to pass before announcing more
strike action. If 8 days of short strikes
can make progress imagine what 8 days
all out could achieve!
We have taken a step forward.
Brandon Lewis is gone and Penny
Mordaunt is in his place. Te fact that
were back in talks after the demands for
us to call o strikes rst is yet another
sign of the pressure weve put them
under. But we cant hold back action for
talks, we can walk and talk at the same
time.
Te continued victimisation of
Ashley Brown in Hertfordshire shows
that the employers are still on the
oensive where they think they can get
away with it. We need to show them
that that an attack on one member will
bring the whole union down upon them.
Te job now is to go all out to win, that
means more strikes with no delay.
Sign the petition for Ashley
Browns reinstatement: https://
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/
Fireghters join other strikers on 10 July demonstration
ACTION GETS RESULTS,
NOW ESCALATE TO WIN
STOP ISRAELI
TERROR
Israeli forces have killed over 200
Palestinian people in Gaza. Now
100,000 Gaza residents have been
warned to leave their homes or face yet
more bombing and shelling.
There is the real possibility of a ground
invasion that could cost thousands of
lives.
This slaughter has to stop.
On Saturday there is a national
demonstration against the assault on
Gaza in London. Come to the protest
and say no to Israeli state terror.
National demonstration:
Saturday 19 July, 12 noon
10 Downing St, London SW1A 1AA
For a march to the Israeli embassy
Called by Stop the War Coalition,
Palestine Solidarity Campaign, CND,
Friends of Al Aqsa, BMI & MAB
Lock-out beaten, Lewis gone, talks on