THE ANNUAL conference of the Fire Brigades Union in Bridlington this week is set to lay the basis for strike action against Tory plans to abolish the firefighters pay formula.
The conference will debate of among the union's 48,000 members. If the strike goes ahead it will be the most significant challenge to date to the government's 1.5 per cent pay formula for the public sector.
The pay formula was agreed alter the 1977-78 firefighters' strike and pegged their pay to that of skilled inTHE TIMEX strike is reaching a new and decisive stage. In the last fortnight thousands of people marched in Dundee against the redundancies of 343 employees by the US-owned firm.
While the strike has captured the imagination of many workion leaders are gearing up to try and end both the dispute and the Mobilise for May 15 & 17 new round connoence il nas given to people.
Addressing the House of Commons employment committee, which is considering Turther anti-union laws in the light of the Timex dispute, AEEU engineers union leader Bill Jordan failed to call for the workers to be reinstated.
Instead he called for the disservice, ACAS. The AEBU have cut support for the strike. They oppose boycous of Timex goods, the mass pickets and any appeals for solidarity strikes.
AL the Same time. "Timex's boss John Dryfe is arranging talks with the unson heads be. hind the backs of the strikers.
His Brush trunky Peler Fall has refuses to negotiate until the ninety day redundancy notices expire this Mondav. At the same time Hall asked the Commons committee to make mass pickets illegal and to allow managers to rip up employment contracts at will.
Supporters of the strike from around the country are coming to Dundee for two major shows of support for the strike. A Saturday May 15 demonstration called by the ABBU has been supported by the Scottish TUC.
On Monday May 17, the day redundancy notices expire. shop stewards have called for a mass picket at 7am. Supported by miners" leader Arthur Scargill and many labour movement organisations, the picket will help block any deal between the AEEU and Timex that sells the strikers short.