Firefighters are set to fight the Tories' 1.5 per cent pay limit after union leaders last week threatened Strikes in defence of their pay formula.
Aen cameron, general secre tary of the Fire Brigades Union, less local authority employers adhered to existing arrange ments, won after a nine-week national strike in 1979. The last Labour government used oops to break the disput This government seen hell-bent on confrontation. We will take stnike achon, it necess ary, and we will carry on unti rictory," Cameron argued He was speaking after some 2000 FBU members lobbied the Home Office in London, where adelegation from the anion met home secretary Kenneth Clarke.
Clarke reportedly argued that the government was not directly involved in firefighters pay talks, but added: "I cannot agree that firefighters should be an exception to the government's policy."
Under the current rules, firefighters' earnings are liked to he upper quartile of full-time nale manual workers' pay a: lefined by an annual govern nent survey. Pay rises are auto matic every November.
While no formal decision has been taken to axe the formula, implementing it would almost ertainly breach the 1.5 per cen mit. Last year it yielded a 4.9 per cent rise.
The FBU executive will ask me union's conference in May to authorise a strike ballot. As Cabinet Office documents seer by Socialist Outlook reveal, the government sees arengaters as a high strike risk. HEALTH AUTHORITIES and local councils which have handed vital services over to wage-cuttingprivatecontractors could face multi-million bills for compensation as a result of recent court judgements.
And public secfor workers facing Imminent redundancy as cowboy Arms move in could find themselves reprieved.
Panic has boon growing among ministers and employers vulnerable to compensation claims after the Welsh Office withdrew from a cruclal test case, effectively conceding the field to trade unions who have been taking the government to court. Firefighters can put out Torles EC blow to privatisation European protects employees from the Imposition of poorer pay and conditions when ransferred from one employer to The rory gorornmons, alone in the EC, had attempted to amend this to allow local authority ana rio servicos to do privatised.
Slashed wages
On the basis of the Tory Interpretation of the law, a huge wave of axed tens thousands of public sector jobs during the 1980s, and slashed the wages of tens of thousands more low-paid staff.
Now the courts have found retrospectively in favour of the EC legislation, many employers are caught midstream.
Many contractors face a massive Increase in their costs if they pay existing rates to staff transferring. and huge bills for any statt they make redundant; and health NHS Trusts and coun cils which had counted on cash savings from privatisation, could save to cope with increased costs. the possible withdrawal of contractors and clalms for compensation trom staff long ago privatised.
While dependence upon EC legislation is no way to defend jobs must lose no opportunity to use this crack in the ory armour to fight back against privatisation.