FBU London Region Treasurer and Respect National Executive member LINDA The FBU lost its series of strikes on pay. Is there still strong feeling in the membership on this? I can only really speak for London, and the membership still feel extremely angry about the 'deal' that ended the dispute. The modernization agenda opens up our conditions of service and the way we deliver the service to massive changes, many of them to the detriment of our members.
The strikes were 100% solid and many members in London spoke about how the dispute was conducted. Many have said to me being defeated is one thing, but we handed over many of our hard won conditions to the employers, we weren't defeated we surrendered". There are a number of motions to this year's union conference about the relationship with the Labour Party. Why is this happening this year? Any support for Labour amongst our members has virtually collapsed. The way we were treated and vilified by the government shocked and appalled many hardworking and decent firefighters.
This feeling was intensified by the knowledge that we fund the Labour Party. It is illogical to support a party that attacks you, our members see that. How strong is the feeling for disaffiliation from the Labour Party among members? The mood amongst our members is such that the possibility of the status quo remaining is slim, the debate seems to be should we "democratise' our political fund or should we disaffiliate altogether
I am in favour of democratisation as the best solution. But there is a strong call for disaffiliation. I think it's important to ensure that members at regional level can decide which parties and candidates we support.
The danger of straight disaffliation is that the executive council will retain control of the fund. Have developments in the RMT and CWU been influential on the discussion in the FBU? Of course the expulsion of the RMT from the Labour Party has influenced the debate within the FBU. The leadership cannot say we would be isolated if we were to free up our political fund
The RMT decision was important to all unions that are afiliated to Labour.
What is particularty interesting is that the forerunner of the RMT the NUR were the union that last century set up the Labour Party because no other political parties represented working people or organized labour.
It is also highly arrogant of Labour to dictate to affiliated unions what they should do with their members money. Do you think trade unionists are looking for a new political voice and is RESPECT going to be that voice? Many trade unionists are deeply disillusioned by the Labour Party in government. Many within the hierarchies of trade unions are interested in 'reclaiming the party.
I think they have much greater vested interests in doing this that the members have. I don't deny however that some members believe that the way to influence the party is to become involved.
RESPECT offers a way forward for trade unionists. It is not automatic however that our members will gravitate to respect. It is new, and many people know little about it.
I believe it is the best option for FBU members in that it has a declaration of aims that is in line with our policies and as it is still new, members can influence the direction and help to shape it
We hope it to be a broad party that is inclusive of all the people that New Labour has left behind.
There is an electoral vacuum when all parties support the same things, the danger is that people do not vote if they don't think it will make any difference to their lives.