Putting Our Politicians Under Fire

The government continues to attack our much needed firefighters, so today firefighters were forced to take further industrial action.

With a 24 hour nationwide strike running from 9am this icy morning here in Leicester, firefighters are still fighting against the government’s attempt to cut their pensions. With the Con-Dem’s attempting to change their retirement age from 55 to 60 — something which is certain to result in the workers failing capability tests and being dismissed before they retire.

Local independent anti-cuts Councillors Wayne Naylor and Barbara Potter sent a message of solidarity to the firefighters before the strike, noting:

“As you may be aware, we at Leicester Independent Councillors Against Cuts (LICAC), supported by the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) support No Cuts for Public Services. We depend on your service to help us, we support you and will fight to ensure that your service will remain where it has always been and should always be, available freely at the moment of need.”

At the picket I attended, the firefighters were all in good spirits, and all signed a petition calling upon Leicester’s three Labour Members of Parliament to support the working-class, in action and not just rhetoric.

Demands on the petition (which can be signed online here) included asking our Labour MP’s to commit to scrapping the anti-trade union laws; reversing all the Con-Dem cuts in public services and benefits, and restoring government funding to councils to at least the 2010 level; immediately raising the minimum wage to a living wage; and calling upon the Labour Party to actively counter racism and the scapegoating of immigrants and to condemn attacks on their rights as a cover for continued austerity.

By no means is this latest strike action the end of the firefighters resistance to the government’s callous attacks on our vital public services. And for a start they are organising a demonstration tomorrow morning from 11am onwards at the local Fire Brigade HQ in Birstall, so if you are free try to get down to support them.