A gang of "arrogant, lying. bullying immoral cowards and thieves" is how one FBU negotiator described a group of Labour councillors after they had deliberately and maliciously thwarted any chance of a settlement to the long standing fire dispute. Another described their wrecking tactics as the "most blatant piece of political interference" he had seen in his life. Less caustic but equally revealing is the statement by one of the Local Authority negotiators, "They (the FBU) held up to their part of the agreement and we have let them down on ours". Pat Watters, leader of the Scottish Employers group, went on to say, "I'm not putting any fault on the trade unions in this particular case. I criticised them in the past but I am not today".
Strong words from three people who witnessed the extraordinary events at a meeting which should have served to rubber-stamp an agreement which had been hammered out between the FBU and Local Government Employers. After many months of negotiations, all the sticking points had been resolved and the way seemed clear to release the 3.5% pay rise that had been owed to the firefighters since last November. Now, that agreement has been wrecked and, with no immediate prospects of further negotiations, another round of fire strikes seems inevitable. This situation clearly warrants a public explanation. The way in which this breakdown came about demands a public enquiry.
Mondays NJC meeting was intended to finalise many months of intensive discussions between the two sides. That was, however, until the gang of "arrogant, lying, bullying, immoral cowards and thieves" decided to gate-crash the party. This group of London councillors previously had nothing to do with the National Joint Council, nothing to do with the talks and nothing to with the Fire Service. Their arrival was so unexpected that extra seating had to be hurriedly brought in and there was barely room for the unions representatives. Bill Gillespie of the Employers said, "I'm particularly annoyed that nine out of the thirteen people who voted against the deal, I had never seen before at negotiations." It is even reported that one of the so-called 'wreckers' asked who they ( the FBU ) were. Clearly, whoever these mewcenaries were, they were not the kind of well-informed experts that the public might expect to be making such important decisions on their behalf. It could even be asked if they knew enough to make a decision on their own, or if they had to be told how to vote by someone else.
The Local Government Association have since issued a statement explaining that the Employers side were 'fully represented' at this particular meeting to "ensure that the views of all fire authorities were properly represented across the country". This concern for the democratic process is commendable but it does beg the question as to why this was not considered necessary during the long months of negotiations leading up to this agreement. It might also be asked, how can an all-London group of councillors be said to represent fire authorities 'across the country'. As to who authorised this group of Labour councillors to attend the NJC meeting unannounced, when and why, the LGA spokesperson could offer no answer but instead claimed that such questions were irrelevant. The real issue was about what work firefighters should undertake on public holidays. It was because the FBU suddenly changed their minds at Mondays meeting that the agreement failed. How fortunate that some shadowy but nameless individual had the foresight to round up a group of spare Labour councillors..........just in case.
We are indeed fortunate in this country, to have such public-spirited officials and politicians. Modest as well; too modest perhaps. Such public benefactors should step forward and receive full credit for their actions. Modesty does not always become a politician. It has been suggested that Minister Nick Raynsford, New Labours very own Salacious Crum, used fiscal blackmail to force the Labour councillors to do his dirty work for him. It has also been alleged that Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart chairman of the Local Government Association, had a hand in this murky affair. However, they are just minor players, with no real authority off their own to initiate a deception of this magnitude. Mr Prescott says it is nonsense to suggest that the Government had intervened but, then again, he told us that the Bain Review was independent. Like Bart Simpson, Tony Blair will also deny any responsibility when he finally returns to this planet. Yet someone, somewhere, has maliciously perverted the course of legitimate negotiations with the clear intention of provoking a national fire strike. Whoever that person, or persons are, high or low, they are guilty of treason. They are the real 'arrogant, lying. bullying immoral cowards and thieves'. They must be removed from whatever office they hold.
If further proof were necessary that this has been a deliberate plot to prevent a long-overdue settlement to this dispute, consider the words of Peter Monk, deputy leader of Suffolk County Council and a member of the Employers negotiating team. "Councillors who have no detailed knowledge of the dispute were brought in to pack the meeting and scupper the deal. The Fire Brigades Union has a fair gripe. They were stitched up................all our hard work in trying to reach an agreement has come to an end through political spite". These are the words of an honorable man;. Now consider the words of Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart. He tries to justify what happened by claiming, "We were perfectly entitled to do what we did". This is the measure of the man and the deception. Mr Bruce-Lockhart, until you learn to differentiate between what you have the right to do and what is the right thing to do, you do not even qualify as a human being let alone aspire to high office.
The FBU officials have been told that there will be no further talks unless firefighters are balloted and vote for industrial action. They are actually being told that they must go on strike. At the same time, Mr Prescott's department is sanctimoniously warning that further strikes by the union will put lives and property at risk; they call the firefighters 'irresponsible. Talk about the pot calling the kettle. There is irrefutable evidence that firefighters are deliberately being goaded and manipulated into taking industrial action, yet Mr Prescott calls them irresponsible and boasts that the Government have not intervened. It would be irresponsible not to intervene. If the Deputy Prime Minister is not aware of what is going on beneath his very nose and what needs to be done about it, then he should resign now on the grounds of criminal incompetence.
Hopefully, firefighters will resist this blatant provocation. Even when battle is inevitable, it is always wise to choose for yourself when and where you will fight. Clearly, someone in the Government wants the FBU to fight now. Some sources suggest that Tony Blair is already standing in front of a mirror in the toilets at Number 10, practising his sincere look and piously rolling his eyes. He may even find some documents linking the FBU to Saddam Hussein while he is in there. What is certain is that he will have no qualms about the cost to other people while he is grinding the firefighters into submission. It might even stop people from asking awkward questions about Iraq. Then he could stride victoriously into the New Year and election time as the heroic commander-in-chief and patron saint of public morality. On the other hand, firefighters have waited long enough for their money, it might be worth waiting a few more months. It is a known mathematical fact that Mr Blair's concern for public safety varies inversely to the proximity of a general election and his own political safety.
However, as much as Mr Blair would like to bury all of our heads in the sand, he may find that this latest round of skulduggery is more than he even he can spin his way out of. Not that he will go first:. Other, lesser beings will sacrificed at the altar of his ego Messrs Prescott and Raynsford would certainly do well to start watching that vulnerable spot between their shoulder blades.
The noose is beginning to tighten. Now, they have sacked Councillor Christina Jebb, chairperson of the Employers side for speaking out about what really happened. In addition to testimony of FBU officials, more and more of their own negotiators are speaking out against what they see as duplicity. More and more fire authorities are expressing disappointment with the Governments underhanded dealings. Yet Mr Prescott cannot wait to call up the military and gleefully condemn the firefighters. Who was it who challenged the firefighters to 'talk not walk'. Well, now is the time for talking, Mr Prescott. Is it worth plunging the entire country into the perils of another fire strike over an issue so trivial as to whether firefighters should or should not carry out fire safety work on a handful of public holidays throughout the year. There need be no strike, not even a ballot. The Government can and must step in immediately to prevent this madness going any further