Posts tagged: strike

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has called on the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to lead a campaign of “mass non-cooperation and non-compliance” with the Minimum Service Levels bill, opposing the anti-strike laws being pushed through parliament by the Conservative party.

The Union said that an emergency congress of the TUC must be called in order to launch a campaign of defiance and civil disobedience against the bill if it becomes law.

The union’s governing executive council has already passed a resolution calling on the TUC to adopt the strategy, and to build a mass movement to resist the legislation, and said that national demonstrations and sustained mass mobilisations will be needed to defeat the bill. 

Non-compliance with the bill would be one of the most significant attempts by unions to defy employment law since the 1984-85 miners’ strike.

‘A draconian attack on rights’

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said the strategy of non-compliance was needed, as there was “no obvious route to challenge this attack through the courts”.

Wrack called the Minimum Services Level bill ‘One of the most draconian attacks on the rights of working people in decades’

Wrack said: “It’s a pernicious piece of legislation that’s in keeping with authoritarian regimes around the world. The government is deliberately attempting to strengthen the position of employers and severely weaken the position of workers. They are doing this for one purpose – to drive down wages.

“Ministers are bulldozing this anti-worker legislation through parliament, and riding roughshod over the democratic process by seeking to avoid scrutiny. The Fire Brigades Union will fiercely resist this onslaught on our democratic rights, but it’s an attack on all workers.”

Wrack said that a mass movement of non-compliance will be needed to challenge and defeat the ‘attack on working people’ by making the legislation unworkable.

He added: “The TUC can lead this movement of resistance, first by calling an emergency congress, followed by a national demonstration, and a sustained campaign of non-cooperation.”

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack has responded to the government announcement that is set to introduce minimum service requirements for the fire and rescue service and make it possible for unions to be sued over these.

Minimum service requirements cam restrict trade union members’ right to strike and restrict the likelihood of effective strikes.  

Wrack said: “The Tories are clearly hellbent on criminalising and victimising trade unions with this latest threatened onslaught on the right to strike.  

“Britain already has among the most restrictive anti-trade union laws in the western world.

“It’s already a democratic outrage that workers have to pass numerous tests for of strike that don’t apply in local government or to MPs elected to Parliament. 

“To allow exploitative and vindictive bosses to pursue trade unionists in the courts would be a highly authoritarian move, and more in keeping with the actions of a dictatorial regime. 

“The Tories are badly misjudging the public mood with these attacks on the pay and conditions of key workers, who kept Britain going during the pandemic.

“Firefighters were among Britain’s Covid heroes.

“However, like millions of others, they are increasingly struggling ot pay the bills as a result of the cost of living crisis caused by the Tories.

“Wages in the UK have stagnated for more than a decade and government policy has helped to deliver this.

“The government wants to continue to drive down wages and now wants to attack the rights of workers who stand up for themselves.

“The FBU and the entire trade union movement will fight this pernicious attack on workers by all means available to us.”