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WE CAN WIN
THIS FIGHT
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FBU040814
F
BU UNIoN leAderS Are rIght
to call another eight days of strikes.
As Matt Wrack says, in a video
available at http://bit.ly/1tMMW1h, the
new fre minister has failed to address the
unions key concerns and that further action
is needed to keep the pressure up on the
government. We can win this disputethe
strikes from 10-21 on July show this.
First, last years June offer was put back
on the table. This was signifcant as the
government had previously said it would not
be offered again.
Concessions
That week ended with Brandon Lewis
losing his job as fre minister to be replaced
by Penny Mordaunt.
One of the important lessons from the
eleven days is that that when we are striking
we are able to force the government and the
employers into concessions.
However, our dispute is still far from
won and it is clear that more action will be
needed.
The disgraceful lock out of frefghters in
Buckinghamshire shows what lengths the
bosses will go to to try and undermine our
action. Thats because our strikes are having
an impact.
Its crucial that FBU members
everywhere rush messages of solidarity to
those locked out, and encourage other trade
unionists to do so too.
Elsewhere in the public sector workers
are gearing up for further action, with
14 October as the next date for joint local
government strikes by Unison, Unite and
GMB. We need to be ready to join these
other workers, like we did on 10 July.
But there is also a real sense now among
FBU members that if we keep our foot to
the foor with a programme of strikes over
the summer we stand a chance of winning
something before the next coordinated
public sector strike.
Thats why its important we make the
coming strikes and industrial action short of
strikes 100 percent solid and active.
We should have picket lines and
delegations to other workplaces to explain
our fght and build links with other workers.
The Tories claim that we are all in it
together. This is nonsense. Firefghters are
in it together with the rest of the working
class movement and the communities
we serve against the Tories and their
drive to impose cuts on us all. We need
to unite the resistance at every level with
trade unionists, socialist and community
campaigners to protect our class.
United we stand.
Further eight days of strikes called...
Stop the assault on Gaza
The Israeli assault on Gaza has killed over
1,000 Palestinians, many of the victims
are children. This murderous assault has
to stop and every trade unionist can play
a part. Many unions have already spoken
out against the attack. Here is a link to the
statement by the FBU http://www.fbu.org.
uk/news/2014/07/fbu-gaza-statement/
We should be pushing to get banners and
delegations from our workplaces onto
national and local protests called by the
Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity
Campaign and other organisations. Go to
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/ and http://
www.palestinecampaign.org/ for details of
events. A national demonstration has been
called for 12 noon this Saturday 9 August.
We can also raise money at work for
Medical Aid for Palestine http://www.map-
uk.org/ to help deal with the humanitarian
crisis.

UNITE THE RESISTANCE
STRIKING
TOGETHER
Organising to win conference
Speakers include: Billy Hayes CWU, John
McDonnell MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Jane Aitchison
PCS, Ian Lawrence NAPO, Ian Hodson BFAWU,
Peter Pinkney RMT, Mandy Brown Lewisham
College UCU.
Saturday 15 November, Bloomsbury
Baptist Church, central London.
Fight to win
Written by frefghters: