Bosses Seek Way Out of Fbu Strike

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See the new film on H Block Saturday December 6 at 2.30 p.m.

New Ambassadors Hotel, Upper Woburn Place, London WC1 Ambassadors Hotel, Upper Woburn Place, London been assured of full backing from the TUC and from the fire officers' union.

The FBU Executive is mandated to call a series of one-day strikes as part of the fight to force the employers to honour the pay deal which ended the bitter 9-week pay strike of 1977-78.

Under that deal firefighters' pay is annually adjusted to keep in une with the "upper quartile" average male industrial earnings.

The resulting increase this year would be 18.8%. But Tory cash limits mean that councils have offered the firemen no more than a miserable 6% increase-in clear breach of that agreement.

But some of the employers are plainly reluctant to engage in a protracted and potentially expensive struggle with the FBU -using antique Green Goddesses on standby at a cost of £l million per day.

They are still debating how best to defuse the situation as we go to press, while the FBU Executive waits at the Cora Hotel for a phone call to summon them to further talks.

Not negotiable FBU members have made it clear that in their view the 18.8% figure, embodied in a hard-won agreement, is not negotiable.

•Yet the Financial Times is speculating that a body of employers may be ready to pay the full amount-provided the FBU leaders agree to loss of jobs through manning cuts.

There are other reports carefully "leaked" that suggest a compromise offer of around 15%.

In either case such offers should be rejected out of hand.

On the one hand a lesser pay settlement would signify the end of the 1978 agreement.

On the other hand, the FBU has consistently refused to discuss the issue of manning levels and the other issues of 'productivity' covered in the government's new Green Paper, as part of the pay negotiations.

The Green Paper proposes cuts in manning at fire stations and reduced attendance at fires and road traffic accidents.

In itself this is a whole new attack on firemen. But in any case such matters are discussed Advance notice SOCIALIST YOUTH LEAGUE BIRMINGHAM Rally and dance Four live bands Saturday December 20 Digbeth Civic Hall More details next week threat to firemen over and above the present dispute on pay.

The one-day strikes must be seen as a preparation to all-out action in defence of the pay agreement.

With the issue of pay settled the fight to defend jobs and existing levels of service must be carried through.

Meanwhile the scandalous moves by local authority union negotiators to hold up their own pay talks until after the FBU claim is settled must be vocally exposed and fought.

The maximum possible united action is necessary to defeat the Thatcher offensive on public sector workers.

film on Bolivia, of the People' McKenna, Raymond McCartney and Leo Green-are now in their fifth week of refusal to take anything but salt and water.

They are growing rapidly weaker, and will soon be on the critical list.

Women prisoners

On December 1 they were joined in their hunger strike by three courageous republican women prisoners from Armagh Gaol, where the 'dirty' protest women in support of political status has taken place alongside the more publicised "blanket' protest by the men of Long Kesh.

At the same time Pauline McLaughlin, a young prisoner from Armagh, remains critically ill, her weight down to just over four stone. She is not in hospital but in a prison cell, denied Political status now!

Croops out of Ireland Sunday 7 December Assemble 1.00 p.m.

Speakers Corner Tickets at door £1.50 have tried to crush their resistance.

The prisoners have fought for four vears for thi restold tion of PoW status. They have refused to wear prison clothing or do prison work. In return they have untold violence, and deprivation. They have had enough.

The hunger strikes have now become a focus for resistance to British imperialism in Ireland.

Mass demonstrations have been have been held. The oppressed une sueers mn men suboorl Yet Britain only 2,000 turned out on the November 15 gemonasa From frame. Trade withdrawal from Ireland. Trade umon and adour ledgers were conspicuous by their absence This Sunday a further demonstration has been called specifically in support of the hunger strikers.

It must be supported.

Be there! Bring your banners! Bring your union leaders! Bring your Labour MP!

And if they're not there.

demand to know why they sup*PoW status now! *Troops out of Ireland now! *Self determination for the • Irish people!

at the Speakers from Woman Wr Youth, Trotskyist Int Liaison Committee and Socialist League. orker, Red ernati onal Akers

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and in the South. Token strikes The sec i met at ore 10

Prist Thatcher's war against the strikerspport the hunger

Workers Socialist League RALLY