As AA says, the firemen had a genuine grievance back in 1977 and obtained a result from the dispute that ensured they were subsequently well provided for overall. Fair enough--at the time. Life moves on however --other than in some of the last bastions of union cartels it seems. For those of you who missed it--which will be the majority for obvious geographical reasons, the interview with the union rep here on Granada News was, er, revealing. To summate--and this will come as no surprise---he not only looked like a guest part in Life on Mars---the rhetoric and justification for the strike was also pure 70's.
Thus I wonder why the firemen seemingly continue to elect a representative so entrenched in the past, rather than one who could advance their cause without recourse to "one out" etc. On the other hand, with regard to union practices, I would venture to suggest in the light of very recent experience, that those connected with the public sector are seemingly unaware of the fact it is now 2006
