Yorkshire Firefighters strike
Oct 19 2009 20:03
Just saw today that firefighters struck and will do so again on Friday. BBC has some details. Anyone have any news about this? Coverage has certainly been quiet on this one.
Oct 20 2009 16:38
#2
Farce, on the post thread, I might have heard it wrong about fire workers striking in Manchester (Ch4 news last night). It could have been South Yorkshire. Essex and Merseyside were definitely mentioned. Today, ITN reports that Warwickshire and Cornwall are also in the frame for action.
What is extremely interesting about this is the possible conjunction of fire and postal workers strikes. I agree with Molly and have the feeling that the bourgeoisie, which usually plays these things up, has been very quiet about the attacks on the fire service and the threatened strikes. I think that this is a conjunction of events that the bourgeoisie would not generally wish for.
Both post and fire workers are generally well-respected throughout the working class and, if these strikes continue, there has to be a real possibility of some positive contact between these two groups of workers (which is why I made the original post on the postal workers’ thread).
Oct 20 2009 16:41
#3
p.s. Out of an 80% ballot the vote was 5 to 1 to strike. The bosses want to sack 744 fire workers and put them on new contracts. Bullying, shift changes, flexibility - same as RM
Oct 20 2009 17:21
#4
You weren't necessarily wrong, it could be the case that there were also strikes in Manchester I hadn't heard about. The main thing is that it isn't just a regional dispute, and seems to be spreading, which is very encouraging. The whole thing takes me back to 2003, when I was a whole six years more enthusiastic and less cynical than I am now.
Oct 20 2009 18:52
#5
Farce, London has had action up to, but not beyond a strike. Ilford or there abouts was where it was.
Baboon, ironically, I've heard and read more from the mainstream and local press than from our end. It was on a news report on Channel 4 last night that I even heard about the strike.
Oct 20 2009 20:55
#6
I've checked out all the local BBC news stations where strikes have been talked about above. Not a word. The only reference is South Yorkshire 'where the strike passed peacefully and there was no problems'!
Oct 21 2009 09:01
#7
I'm sure BBC aren't a representative of the all mainstream and local press though.
Do a google search for firefighters strike 2009 september and look at the links. Local, mainstream and Trot.
Are we sure that they're not also striking in London? What I've heard is that it's a dispute with the London and South Yorkshire authorities. I could be wrong, tho.