Here’s why firefighters are on strike
If you’re one of those who thinks firefighters are not justified in their battle with the government over pensions, just copy the image above and look at it until you realise that they are.
Strikes are being held in protest at changes to pensions and the retirement age, which the Fire Brigades Union has claimed could lead to firefighters losing their jobs if they fail fitness tests in their late 50s.
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the FBU, asked in The Guardian: “How can it be remotely fair that the prime minister, already a millionaire, enjoys a far greater subsidy from his employer in absolute and proportional terms than a firefighter who is earning less than £30,000 a year? It is sickening hypocrisy.”
And TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: “Once again the government is showing its contempt for public-service workers. Evidence warns that raising the normal retirement age for firefighters would lead to older fighters facing no job and no pension after years of good service.”
Still think the firefighters are wrong? Then look at the people arguing against them and ask yourself whether they belong to one of the groups that have, in recent times, committed expenses fraud, taken huge unjustified bonuses (consequently jeopardising the economy), or avoided paying huge amounts of tax – either personally or as representatives of one or several corporations.
You should be burning with rage at what our spiteful Tory-led government is planning to do to older firefighters – those who have spent most of their lives saving others.
If you are, it’s one blaze that our firefighters won’t be in a hurry to extinguish.
Additional: After this article was published, the following picture appeared on Twitter:
What do you think of people being sacked because they went on strike?
Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike
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Thank goodness they were there when the fireworks store in Stafford blew up a couple of days ago.
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art/39317/Fury+as+fire+bosses+sack+striking+union+activist+in+Buckinghamshire – more info about Andy
Isn’t the Great Fire of London taught at Eton or Fettes?
Perhaps they were all in their country houses when it happened.
I can no longer get angry, I just despair!! I was saved from a fire in1975 when I was 4yrs ( I had set the fire ), I kept thinking that the fireman’s name was Dennis, because of the truck.
I was badly burnt in that fire.
I find myself remembering me in 1977 and the Green Goddesses.
Good fun that was.
Problem I’ve got now is what will the government do about this?
What if they use the current crisis to force through compulsory strike bans on all emergency and ‘essential’ services.
After all the UK’s sheeple have been only too willing to let the government kill people who are too sick to work so I’m pretty certain they’ll let the government screw the emergency services too.
I’m 50/50 over strikes. On the minus side, strikes often harm those not directly involved in the dispute, but they are the only legal way of putting pressure on the bosses.
Imagine if your employer (or anyone else for that matter) ripped up your contract in front of your face; this in essence is what has happened and not just to the Fire Brigade either, this government has done the same thing with HMRC and the NHS. The Tories’ wish is to crush the unions so that they can continue their cuts and worsen terms and conditions without the union poking their nose in.
How right you are Mike makes my blood curdle, I don’t know of one group apart from themselves that haven’t been affected by this shower. Teachers, Police, legal aid, councils, firemen, NHS, MOD, Solicitors, Prisons, DVLA, Border control, unemployed, disabled, railways, CAB, Remploy, JCB, Passport office, Doctors and it goes on and on and on. When will it cease don’t know how much more I can take our lovely country destroyed by a minority group who’s only aim is to increase the wealth of a few.
Spot on again Mike. I’d urge everyone to sign and share this http://bit.ly/FBUpensionspetition
Keep writing Mike, the injustice and cruel policies are sickening. Petition signed, thanks annak53.
They are right to strike! What else can they do? It’s abundantly clear this is just a way to steal pension funds. What will it take for the people to rise up and get rid of this lot before the country is too weak and broken to do anything about the deluge of detrimental legislation being dumped on them?