Report - Fire Brigades Union
Report - Fire Brigades Union
Report - Fire Brigades Union
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SECTION C — TUC AND LABOUR MOVEMENT<br />
●<br />
Fully support any workers forced to take industrial action in<br />
defence of pension rights.<br />
Congress notes that statements from the coalition government<br />
suggest that working people can expect significant attacks on<br />
pension rights over coming months.<br />
Congress agrees to support the closest possible collaboration<br />
between affiliates in defence of occupational and state pension<br />
rights. This should include:<br />
●<br />
●<br />
The organisation of a major national demonstration in<br />
support of occupational and state pension rights;<br />
The closest possible coordination of campaigning between<br />
affiliates, including the coordination of industrial action<br />
where appropriate.<br />
Public services<br />
Congress notes with alarm the austerity agenda of the<br />
coalition government. These policies seek to ensure that<br />
working people in the UK pay the price for the failures of the<br />
economic system by regressively raising taxes and by<br />
embarking on the most vicious programme of spending cuts<br />
in living memory.<br />
that were the subject of motions from several affiliate unions.<br />
As a result both FBU motions were composited into<br />
Composite 5 (Pensions) and Composite 10 (Defending public<br />
services). These were both passed by congress with the FBU<br />
making contributions to both debates.<br />
The FBU also submitted amendments to motions on health<br />
and safety and Palestine. Once again, these were subjects that<br />
were the matter of motions from other unions and as a result<br />
the FBU’s amendments were incorporated into composites.<br />
Composite 15 (Health and safety at work) and Composite 18<br />
(Palestine) were both passed by congress and the FBU again<br />
spoke to both motions.<br />
Congress delegates and visiting officials attended and spoke at<br />
several fringe meetings, including three organised by the Trade<br />
<strong>Union</strong> Coordinating Group (TUCG). Once again, we shared an<br />
exhibition stand with the Institute of Employment Rights, and<br />
general secretary Matt Wrack was re-elected to the general<br />
council.<br />
Full details of the congress including the verbatim report of all<br />
FBU delegates’ contributions can be found at www.tuc.org.uk<br />
Congress recognises that these policies will devastate the lives<br />
of the most vulnerable in society, will destroy hundreds of<br />
thousands of jobs and will undermine the prospects for young<br />
people. The austerity agenda will further weaken public<br />
services by opening up new areas of public service to<br />
outsourcing and privatisation.<br />
Congress rejects these policies and reaffirms support for the<br />
principles of public service and democratic accountability.<br />
Congress recognises that public spending drives growth,<br />
which benefits recovery in both the public and private sector.<br />
Congress agrees to campaign to build a broad coalition of<br />
working people to oppose these attacks and agrees to:<br />
1. Build a series of demonstrations against government<br />
austerity measures.<br />
2. Further develop the arguments against these policies<br />
through research and the production of pamphlets and<br />
other materials.<br />
3. Support local campaigning activity against cuts, especially<br />
by trades union councils.<br />
4. Build a broad movement of opposition by developing links<br />
with other working class organisations opposed to cuts and<br />
closures.<br />
5. Maximise the impact of such opposition campaigns by<br />
convening a Convention Against The Cuts to draw together<br />
all those organisations engaged in challenging the<br />
governments’ agenda.<br />
6. Build the coordination of industrial action against cuts.<br />
Congress was held against the backdrop of the most serious<br />
attack on the welfare state for generations. Therefore, the<br />
issues of defending public services and pensions were ones<br />
C3 ICTU northern conference 2010<br />
The FBU sent a delegation comprising the regional officials to<br />
the Irish Congress of Trade <strong>Union</strong>s’ (ICTU) 2010 northern<br />
biennial delegate conference, held in Derry on 27-28 April<br />
2010.<br />
The conference was attended and addressed by a number of<br />
high-profile politicians including deputy first minister Martin<br />
McGuinness.<br />
The FBU delegation, as usual, played a full and integral part in<br />
the conference which, among many other issues, debated<br />
motions on the economy, equal opportunities and pensions.<br />
The delegation participated in many of the fringe events which<br />
took place throughout the course of conference.<br />
C4 STUC 2010<br />
The 113th STUC annual congress was held in the Caird Hall,<br />
Dundee from 19-21 April 2010.<br />
Delegates:<br />
Gavin Barrie<br />
John Duffy<br />
Jim Malone<br />
Alan Paterson<br />
Gerry McLeod<br />
Lothian and Borders regional<br />
treasurer/acting chair<br />
Tayside regional secretary<br />
Tayside regional organiser<br />
Grampian brigade secretary<br />
Dumfries and Galloway<br />
brigade secretary.<br />
82 FBU Annual <strong>Report</strong> 2011