Defend Community Safety, Public Services And Jobs

Conference notes the outcome of the recent General Election and the formation of the Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition Government. Conference notes with concern that one of the central areas of policy agreement between the Government parties is to rapidly reduce the public sector deficit, primarily through drastic reductions in public expenditure. This will affect working people throughout the UK directly and through the subsequent impact on funding allocations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Such an approach is likely to exacerbate the cuts already faced in the Fire and Rescue Service and other public services. In the Fire and Rescue Service this will lead to further reductions in emergency cover, station closures and job losses. In turn these will lead to increased risks to the safety of communities, businesses and firefighters. Such an approach is completely unacceptable to the Fire Brigades Union. Conference notes that the current economic difficulties facing the UK and other economies arose from a crisis sparked by a de-regulated banking system. Public services and those who work within them have played no role in causing current economic difficulties. Conference therefore rejects the argument that public service workers should pay the price for the bail-out of the banks through job losses, pay cuts and attacks on pension rights. Conference rejects the argument that working people in general should pay the price for the crisis and for the bail-out of the banks through poorer services and increased taxation. Conference pledges to oppose all cuts in the Fire and Rescue Service, to oppose attempts to freeze pay and to oppose further attacks on firefighters' pension rights, if necessary by national strike action. Conference agrees to coordinate our campaigning on these issues with other trade unions as closely as possible including the initiation of coordinated industrial action if appropriate. Conference notes that these attacks will affect millions of working people in the UK and pledges to support campaigns through the TUC, STUC, Wales TUC, ICTU and the Trade Union Coordinating Group to oppose the cuts agenda and to support all those campaigning to defend jobs and public services. To be successful, such a campaign will need to unite trade unionists, local communities and progressive political forces to present an alternative agenda which puts people before the needs of profit.