Report - Fire Brigades Union

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SECTION C — TUC AND LABOUR MOVEMENT ● Fully support any workers forced to take industrial action in defence of pension rights. Congress notes that statements from the coalition government suggest that working people can expect significant attacks on pension rights over coming months. Congress agrees to support the closest possible collaboration between affiliates in defence of occupational and state pension rights. This should include: ● ● The organisation of a major national demonstration in support of occupational and state pension rights; The closest possible coordination of campaigning between affiliates, including the coordination of industrial action where appropriate. Public services Congress notes with alarm the austerity agenda of the coalition government. These policies seek to ensure that working people in the UK pay the price for the failures of the economic system by regressively raising taxes and by embarking on the most vicious programme of spending cuts in living memory. that were the subject of motions from several affiliate unions. As a result both FBU motions were composited into Composite 5 (Pensions) and Composite 10 (Defending public services). These were both passed by congress with the FBU making contributions to both debates. The FBU also submitted amendments to motions on health and safety and Palestine. Once again, these were subjects that were the matter of motions from other unions and as a result the FBU’s amendments were incorporated into composites. Composite 15 (Health and safety at work) and Composite 18 (Palestine) were both passed by congress and the FBU again spoke to both motions. Congress delegates and visiting officials attended and spoke at several fringe meetings, including three organised by the Trade Union Coordinating Group (TUCG). Once again, we shared an exhibition stand with the Institute of Employment Rights, and general secretary Matt Wrack was re-elected to the general council. Full details of the congress including the verbatim report of all FBU delegates’ contributions can be found at www.tuc.org.uk Congress recognises that these policies will devastate the lives of the most vulnerable in society, will destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs and will undermine the prospects for young people. The austerity agenda will further weaken public services by opening up new areas of public service to outsourcing and privatisation. Congress rejects these policies and reaffirms support for the principles of public service and democratic accountability. Congress recognises that public spending drives growth, which benefits recovery in both the public and private sector. Congress agrees to campaign to build a broad coalition of working people to oppose these attacks and agrees to: 1. Build a series of demonstrations against government austerity measures. 2. Further develop the arguments against these policies through research and the production of pamphlets and other materials. 3. Support local campaigning activity against cuts, especially by trades union councils. 4. Build a broad movement of opposition by developing links with other working class organisations opposed to cuts and closures. 5. Maximise the impact of such opposition campaigns by convening a Convention Against The Cuts to draw together all those organisations engaged in challenging the governments’ agenda. 6. Build the coordination of industrial action against cuts. Congress was held against the backdrop of the most serious attack on the welfare state for generations. Therefore, the issues of defending public services and pensions were ones C3 ICTU northern conference 2010 The FBU sent a delegation comprising the regional officials to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ (ICTU) 2010 northern biennial delegate conference, held in Derry on 27-28 April 2010. The conference was attended and addressed by a number of high-profile politicians including deputy first minister Martin McGuinness. The FBU delegation, as usual, played a full and integral part in the conference which, among many other issues, debated motions on the economy, equal opportunities and pensions. The delegation participated in many of the fringe events which took place throughout the course of conference. C4 STUC 2010 The 113th STUC annual congress was held in the Caird Hall, Dundee from 19-21 April 2010. Delegates: Gavin Barrie John Duffy Jim Malone Alan Paterson Gerry McLeod Lothian and Borders regional treasurer/acting chair Tayside regional secretary Tayside regional organiser Grampian brigade secretary Dumfries and Galloway brigade secretary. 82 FBU Annual Report 2011
SECTION C — TUC AND LABOUR MOVEMENT Various problems with flights meant a reduced FBU attendance at STUC this year but there was still a positive input from the FBU. Thanks to Bro Alan Paterson and Bro Gerry McLeod for stepping in as late substitutes. The first resolution covering the fire boards was carried by congress: Congress notes with concern the previous report by the Audit Scotland which highlighted the level of involvement of Scottish fire boards in the running of the fire and rescue service and wishes to assist in addressing the concerns of the Fire Brigades Union with regard to the level of understanding and accountability of members of such boards. To this end this congress calls for and will work to encourage direct representation of the Fire Brigades Union on all Scottish fire boards. Defence League (SDL), the British National Party (BNP) and the Welsh Defence League (WDL), the motions called upon the STUC to step up its campaign against far right parties. This should be done by working with community groups and antifascist organisations to ensure that Scotland keeps the far right “right out”. The Scottish police (Strathclyde, and Lothian and Borders) were praised, surprisingly, for being very instrumental in denying the EDL and SDL. This was achieved by not letting them march past any places of worship and then containing them in one pub in each city. Therefore, trouble was kept to a minimum. The FBU had two motions: Hakim Beaouji moved Haiti as a first-time speaker; Lud Ramsey moved motion 17, Single Equalities Act. Both motions were passed by the conference. The second motion, “Rebuilding collective prosperity – public services”, was included in a composite which was moved by the general council and carried by congress. It was supported by: Educational Institute of Scotland UNISON Scotland Public and Commercial Services Union GMB Scotland National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers NASUWT Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Prospect South Lanarkshire TUC. Bro Roddy Robertson, EC member, was re-elected to the general council of the STUC. C5 STUC black workers’ conference 2010 Delegates: Lud Ramsey Hakim Beaouji The 14th annual STUC black workers’ conference took place in Glasgow on 2-3 October 2010. The conference was opened by the chair, Hilda Smith. The conference had 18 motions, five of which were about cuts and the impact they will have on the BME population. As most of the BME workforce is in the public sector the cuts will impact negatively and disproportionately on BME workers. The conference agreed to try to counter this by organising in a way similar to the “better way” campaign and preparing to fight the possible redundancies. Lud Ramsey was voted onto the STUC black workers’ committee to serve for 2010-2011. He was also asked to speak at the STUC disabled workers’ conference in November. C6 STUC women’s conference 2010 The STUC women’s conference was held in Perth on 1-2 November 2010. Delegation: Denise Christie Kerry Walker Yvonne Campbell Colleen Devine Observer: Vicky Stonebridge Lothian and Borders, Scottish women’s secretary Dumfries and Galloway Grampian Grampian Highlands and Islands Both the FBU resolutions, on menopause and on domestic violence, were carried at this year’s conference. The FBU also submitted an emergency motion on the London firefighters’ dispute asking for the STUC women’s committee to condemn the action of the sacking of over 5,500 members by the London Fire Brigade and to commend and send a strong message of support to our sisters and brothers taking industrial action. This emergency motion was carried and a media report was sent out by the STUC highlighting this. All our delegates spoke at conference this year with some first-time speakers. The contribution from the FBU within the debates was good and the sponsored lunch provided was very well received and gave our delegation the opportunity to speak to some of the guests at the conference. There were four motions about opposing the far right. With the increasing rise of the English Defence League (EDL), Scottish Denise Christie was elected once again to represent the FBU on the STUC women’s committee. FBU Annual Report 2011 83
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The Fire Brigades Union Executive C
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MICK SHAW President MATT WRACK Gene
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Section D Pensions 91 Section E AIF
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