Firfighters Strike Over

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday June 13, 2003 10:43 by Durutti

SP Lead Sellout

The bitter nine-month conflict, which has cost the Government £100 million, was resolved when 300 delegates from the Fire Brigades Union voted by 3-1 to accept the pay offer phased in over 30 months. But some delegates at a special conference in Glasgow were furious that the deal had been accepted and said that Andy Gilchrist, the union’s general secretary, (who was backed by the SP) would face a leadership challenge. The deal, which will give the average qualified firefighter £25,000 a year from July 2004, is a far cry from the 40 per cent pay demand tabled by the union last April. That was not tied to modernisation and would have given a firefighter £30,000 immediately

SP Member Backs Gilchrist.

Andy Brickels (SP), chairman of the union’s East Midlands branch, said: “No one is happy about this deal and there wasn’t a single speaker in favour, but we have to have a reality check.” He said there would now be pressure on the union to break its link with the Labour Party in protest at the way the Government had handled the dispute. (Times, 13/6)

So, its alright for Revolutionaries to have a "reality check" and sell out the workers. Remember this the next time the SP put on a militanr face in the unions.

Some members were not as craven as the SP,
At the Delegate Conference, activist Brian McFadyen unfurled a banner which read “lions led by donkeys” and predicted that Mr Gilchrist would face a leadership challenge. Matt Wrack, the union’s regional organiser in London also criticised the union executive. “The leadership has mishandled the dispute from the start and they should consider their position,” he said. “We should have carried on.”
(Times, 13/6)

No doubt the SP will reveal that McFadyen and Wrack were seen chatting to cops.