The general election and the challenges facing the FBU and the trade union movement

Conference notes the outcome of the 2015 General Election. The election of a
Conservative government will mean a further onslaught on public services, workers’
living standards and trade union rights.

Conference reaffirms our position that cuts and austerity are not an economic
necessity. Rather, they reflect the neoliberal political programme designed to resolve
the economic problems, which followed the crisis of 2007/08, at the expense of
workers. This is being imposed through savage cuts to public expenditure and public
services. It ultimately means a sustained attack on workers’ living standards by
various means.

These include: wage freezes and other restrictions in the public and private sector; the
attack on the pension rights of millions of working people; the privatisation of public
services; and the attacks on welfare rights.

Under this Conservative government, firefighters can expect further attacks on our
service and on our profession.

They have already made it clear they will:

● Impose further austerity cuts similar to those faced over the last five years,
which have already detrimentally affected public and firefighter safety.
● Threaten firefighters’ pay and living standards
● Try to drive through the mutualisation of local fire and rescue services, as a
first step towards privatisation
● Allow police and crime commissioners to interfere with the governance of the
fire and rescue service, further undermining local democracy, transparency
and accountability
● Utilise the Thomas report to attack and undermine firefighters’ conditions of
service
● Pursue new attacks on the trade union rights of workers to take industrial
action to defend ourselves

These measures will further weaken, undermine and fragment our fire and rescue
service, putting public and firefighter safety at risk.

As the professional voice of firefighters and of the fire and rescue service, the FBU
will:

● Put forward an evidence-based case to deliver professional standards, in
order to ensure a modern, safe and effective fire and rescue service
● Campaign with local and national politicians and with local communities to
defend our fire and rescue service against cuts, closures and privatisation
Cuts and austerity do not just affect the fire and rescue service but are an issue for all
workers. Therefore the FBU calls on the whole trade union movement to immediately
give the lead to all those opposed to austerity. This must include other workers not
currently in trade unions, young people, students, pensioners’ groups and other
campaigners prepared to resist.

The FBU calls upon the trade union movement to inspire a mass movement of
opposition against the attacks we now face. This must include redoubling our efforts
to recruit and organise all layers of workers into fighting trade unions.
The scale of the attacks the Tories propose means that tens of millions of people will
suffer as a result. This creates the potential to build a new and powerful mass
movement. The FBU stands ready to play our part and we call on others to join us.