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WE NEED STRIKE ACTION
TO WIN THIS FIGHT
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FBU190914

ANgry ANd frustrated

thats the line from London
region FBU as our national
union leaders yet again failed to
call the strikes we voted
85 percent for.
Many FBU members agree.
From Merseyside to Essex FBU
members have taken to Twitter
and other social media to angrily
voice their disapproval of the ECs
strategy.
Everyone can see that Mordaunts
more talks strategy is simply
designed to string out the dispute,
and undermine the pressure and
momentum our strikes created.
Our strikes have stretched
Brigades to breaking point and an
escalation of strike action over the
summer could have won us our
victory.
Thats when Cameron moved
Brandon Lewis out and stuck Penny
Mordaunt in with the mandate of
more talks.
But despite our union leaders
describing negotiations with
Mordaunt as less confrontational,
her agenda is exactly the same as
Lewiss.
Shes a Tory minister absolutely
committed to making workers like us
pay for the economic crises caused
by the bankers with our pensions,
our jobs and our services.
Mordaunt is our enemy and
despite her weasel words about areas
where significant progress can be
made; there is still no progress on
the crucial issues of no jobno
pension, early retirement options,
contribution rates and ratios,
commutation factors and the overall
cost ceiling.
Frozen
Meanwhile while she talks to our
union leaders, pension contributions
have gone up, pay is still frozen,
5,000 jobs have been cut, fire deaths
are up, and services are continually
being slashed forcing attendance
times up.
The only power we have to resist
this onslaught and defend our
pensions is the power of our strike
action and the solidarity we can
build with the rest of the movement.
Three years of talks have got us
nowhere and we must fight back.
On 13 and 14 October hundreds of
thousands of workers in the NHS and
local government will strike against
Tory austerity.
Impact
We could have been part of this
action.
We saw the impact on FBU
members when we were on strike at
the same time as a million and a half
others on 10 July.
Confidence was increased, picket
lines were vibrant and a real sense
of momentum was gained as we all
looked toward an escalation to win.
Instead we are faced with yet another
round of talks.
Protracted
But this isnt inevitable.
London, GMC and Merseyside have
demanded more strikes to win.
Rank and file FBU members in
every brigade need to take this call
up.
We should mandate every
EC member to vote for
strikesand protracted strikes at
thatimmediately these talks fail to
deliver.
Pickets in Islington, North London
Dont let Mordaunt string us along...