[A-List] UK labour militancy & public order

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Now it's looking like things are going to take a very nasty turn thanks to
the mid-term elections in the US and Blair's inability to distance himself
from Bush. The old canard about "our boys" being let down by a bunch of
"Scargillites" is being brought out once again. Anybody in the UK of any
integrity whatsoever should be vigorously opposing UK participation in any
Iraq attack and the disgusting smear of the firefighters being perpetrated
by "New Labour", no matter how squeezed Tony might be.


Fire dispute 'could hinder attack on Iraq'

Kevin Maguire and Richard Norton-Taylor
Thursday November 7, 2002
The Guardian

The prospect of troops being forced to answer 999 fire calls dramatically
rose last night as firefighters' leaders accused local employers of
undermining their peace talks.

Union chiefs rejected a request to lift the threat of a 48-hour national
strike from 6pm next Wednesday after council negotiators claimed they could
not table a fresh pay offer until next Tuesday.

The threat of industrial action returned as Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, the
chief of the defence staff, warned that a prolonged dispute would jeopardise
Britain's ability to take part in any military operations against Iraq.

Britain's most senior military officer told MPs that providing cover during
fire strikes was an operation where "politically it was not possible not to
deliver".

In a clear reference to Iraq, Sir Michael said the dispute would put "severe
constraints on the government's ability to make decisions it otherwise would
[make]".

The leaders of the Fire Brigades Union, and of the fire authorities,
appeared now to be locked in a game of high stakes poker.

Discussions held yesterday more or less settled some issues - equal pay for
control operators and retained volunteers, and a new formula linking future
rises to skilled workers - but the employers failed to increase a rejected
4% offer in response to the union's claim for a 40% rise. With time running
out, the FBU leadership's room for manoeuvre appears limited.

But there was unofficial action on Monday night when London crews answered
only 999 calls, putting pressure on union leaders to go ahead with the
strike.

Andy Gilchrist, the FBU general secretary, said: "The process has now
stalled because of the absence of a key figure. The employers have requested
more time to put together proposals on pay."

The union turned down an offer to extend the 28-day deadline on taking
industrial action beyond November 13, while the authorities await the
recommendations of a fire review chaired by Sir George Bain.

Ted George, chairman of the employers' side, said: "We have asked the union
to give us some time to formulate some further proposals and we will meet
again on Tuesday."

Altogether, 19,000 military personnel have been on standby since last month
to crew ageing green goddess tenders. Seven warships have been taken out of
operational service to train Royal Navy firefighters.

Sir Michael told the Commons defence committee that frontline units had been
"stripped out" to provide "would-be firefighters".

He said: "The situation at the moment is such that if there was a
large-scale or medium-scale operation, we would have great difficulty in
coping. We are trying to balance our efforts. Certainly for a couple of
months we could cope with other eventualities, but if this runs on into next
year we shall have extreme difficulty."

Military commanders are drawing up contingency plans for a medium-sized
force, plus sea and air support - thought to number about 20,000 personnel
in all - to join an attack on Iraq by the US government.

Yesterday, answering additional questions from the Commons defence
committee, Sir Michael addressed MPs' queries about whether or not British
troops engaged in a war against Iraq would "face problems" over the
international criminal court. He replied that he had been "reassured" there
was "no likelihood of any British soldier, sailor or airman" being
questioned by any authority that was not British.

Sir Michael also expressed anger at the delays in a pilot training
programme, which have led to more than half the army's new fleet of 67
Apache helicopters being mothballed for up to four years.