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Essex firefighters show how to fight cuts...

Back Essex FBU

Strike to Win
E

ssex FBU members are

striking in defence of jobs and
fire cover. Bosses plan to cut
179 firefighters and control staff
resulting in a 25 percent reduction in
front line staff.
This comes on top of the 5,000 jobs
and some 50 stations lost nationally,
which has resulted in slower attendance
times and a sharp increase in fire deaths.
The FBU has always said that Cuts
Cost Lives and now Essex is in the front
line of our fightback to defend jobs and
public safety. Its vital FBU members
everywhere organise effective solidarity.
We should demand a national march
in Essex like the march in Aylesbury,
Buckinghamshire in support of Ricky
Matthews; and we should also organise
collections, send delegations to Essexs
picket lines and messages of support to:
essexfbu@live.co.uk

Million

A victory for Essex is a victory for us all

and can rejuvenate the national unions
fight to defend pensions. But to win, both
Essex and the national union must be
ready to escalate. The pensions campaign
shows limited action hasnt been enough
and a harder hitting strike strategy is
needed to win.
Thats why FBU members should
support renewed strikes to defend
pensions at the unions special conference
in February.
The public will support us.
Everyone is sick of Tory austerity and
theres huge anger throughout the trade
union movement at the Tories plans to
introduce even more stringent anti trade
union laws to make it harder for us to
strike back.
The TUC say the Tories want to
impose more wage freezes and cut
another million jobs from public services.
They are also scapegoating immigrants
in order to divide us. But to defend our
jobs and services its vital workers reject

Portsmouth FBU pickets make the links!

the racism pushed by the Tories, UKIP

and the right wing press and unite to fight
back.
Moreover we cannot rely on Labour.
Milliband is committed to Tory
spending plans and its clear we face
more cuts whoever is elected. Thats why
we need to build a political alternative
which genuinely stands up for working
class peoples interests.
The Trade Union and Socialist
Coalition (TUSC) is standing candidates
in the general election in May and
its important trade unionists support
initiatives like this.

NHS

Britain is the worlds sixth biggest

economy, but 1 in 5 live below the official
poverty line and one million people are
relying on food banks to eat.

Meanwhile bankers are still reaping six

figure bonuses, MPs gave themselves an
11 percent pay rise and chief fire officers
earn more than the prime minister!
Clearly were not all in it together and
the only appropriate response is to fight
back.
Thats the message from workers in
education, the NHS and transport.
500,000 NHS workers are set to walk
out on 29 January in a fight for pay,
whilst workers at Lambeth College start
indefinite all out strike action on 19
January.
Some 27,000 bus drivers in London
struck on Tuesday this week and St
Mungos care workers won a fantastic
victory with escalating strikes last year.
Essex FBU members are in the front
line of this resistance and deserve our
support. Victory to the FBU.

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