Submitted by SWFBU on
TO: ALL FBU MEMBERS FROM GENERAL SECRETARY MATT WRACK
RECALL CONFERENCE: FBU POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
Members will be aware that our Conference delegates will be re-called to meet on 27 November. One of the issues under discussion is that of the union’s political strategy. The Executive Council has taken account of various factors including the decision of Conference in May (Resolution 38) to require the development of proposals on a political strategy by December of 2015.
It is important to note that this is a debate and, as in most debates, there will be a range of views. Conference is the most democratic forum through which the union can discuss in detail the various issues we face and thereby ensure that we can identify the best way forward.
Firefighters, like all workers across the UK (and especially those in the public sector) face a hugely difficult time as the Conservative government plans a further round of cuts in public spending and four more years of pay restraint – i.e. cuts in real wages. In these circumstances the Executive Council has been working to identify the best strategic way forward for our union taking account of the situation we face, the range of views which exist and the different position in different parts of the UK.
What is proposed?
The FBU will continue to make and develop the professional case for a modern fire and rescue service which is able to address the risks facing our communities today. That will involve dialogue and engagement with politicians from all the main political parties.
The Executive Council resolution also proposes that the union should affiliate to the Labour Party. Account should be taken of the different political position in different parts of the UK and therefore the FBU should not affiliate to the Scottish Labour Party or the Labour Party in Northern Ireland. In addition:
• No Political Fund money from members in Scotland or Northern Ireland would be used in relation to any such affiliation.
This matter, however, is a matter for the Conference as a whole. It is a strategic debate which should be considered overall, taking account of the different pressures facing us in our different regions.
This circular sets out some of the issues which have been discussed by the Executive Council and which your delegates to our Conference are being asked to consider.
The background – the scale of the attacks we face
1. Firefighters are under attack as never before. The level of cuts is unprecedented. Under the last government we saw:
• Over 40 fire stations closed.
• 6,700 firefighter jobs cut.
• Pensions attacked.
• Pay frozen.
2. These attacks are continuing. The next round of public spending cuts will be announced by George Osborne on 25 November. This is likely to mean at least three more years of cuts to our service.
3. The Chancellor has announced a further four years of pay restraint for all public sector workers. Workers in the UK are on average already considerably worse off financially as a result of austerity policies and pay cuts. Real living standards have fallen since 2008 and not recovered.
4. The Tories also plan further attacks specifically on fire and rescue. They are trying (in England) to push our service under the control of Police and Crime Commissioners.
5. At the same time they plan the most undemocratic attack on our unions in decades – in an attempt to stop us from fighting back.
6. Firefighters have been a particular target (for example in the Trade Union Bill) for daring to stand up to the government. However, these attacks are on all workers, all public services and all trade unions.
7. These are political decisions. They are made by politicians. They are the politics which seek to make working people pay for the bankers’ crisis.
8. The FBU along with other unions needs a broad response. We need to oppose all the various aspects of these attacks. In this regard we are:
a. Playing our role in the campaign against the Trade Union Bill – and calling for the campaign to go further than currently.
b. Making the professional case against cuts in our service – through our evidence and lobbying on the Spending Review and in relation to cuts across the UK, including by the devolved governments.
c. Joining with other unions in opposing further cuts – through the TUC, the Scottish TUC and Irish Congress of Trades Unions – and other broad based campaigns.
d. Challenging the government legally wherever we can – for example through our legal challenge on pensions.
e. Building our local campaigns against the cuts.
9. We need to remember that the background to all these attacks is the political situation. The Conservative government is committed to austerity and to attacking public services and those who work within them. Ultimately they want to privatise as much as possible, including within the fire and rescue service.
The FBU and politics
1. The FBU was affiliated to the Labour Party from the 1920’s.
2. This was because those who built our union understood the need for political action as well as industrial organisation. It is politicians who make all the key decisions affecting our industry. So an industrial approach on its own makes no sense.
3. The Labour Party was created largely by the unions – as a means to give political representation to workers. Whatever its successes or failures over the years, it was formed to give workers a voice in politics and remains an opportunity for that if trade unions are involved and organised for a workers’ agenda.
4. Under Tony Blair there was a sustained attempt to reverse this approach. Blair pushed Labour far to the right and closer to the Tories, adopting many of the policies brought in by Thatcher. This was the background to the various attacks on unions during the Blair government, including their attack on the FBU in 2002/3. It was our bitter dispute over pay which led our Conference to disaffiliate in 2004.
The Corbyn Leadership (Corbyn & McDonnell and their record with the FBU)
1. Despite not being affiliated to the Labour Party, the FBU supported the Corbyn campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party. The issue of who leads the Labour Party is clearly hugely important for all trade unions, affiliated or not.
2. The Executive Council is of the view that the election of Corbyn represents the best possibility in a generation of putting workers’ issues, including firefighters’ issues, at the heart of politics.
3. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have been two of the most consistent supporters of the FBU in politics for decades.
• Corbyn and McDonnell are both founder members of the FBU Parliamentary Group.
• John McDonnell has been the Secretary of the FBU Parliamentary Group for more than a decade.
• Both have supported the FBU in Parliament, in disputes and on picket lines over many years.
• They have regularly challenged governments (including New Labour under Blair/Brown) over attacks on firefighters and the fire and rescue service.
• They both consistently supported the union – against New Labour – over control regionalisation and similar attacks.
• They have both argued consistently for trade union rights – including arguing against Blair/Brown.
4. Corbyn won a quarter of a million votes in the Labour leadership election, and the support of FBU, BFAWU (Bakers), ASLEF, RMT, UNITE, UNISON, CWU and TSSA. There is a possibility for shaping a new trade union agenda which puts workers at the heart of political debate.
5. The election shocked the political establishment because it opened up the possibility of a new type of politics more in tune with the demands of workers, trade unions, young people and others.
6. However, there is very clearly a threat to Corbyn and McDonnell. Leading Labour figures are openly planning to launch an attack on him at the appropriate time and are using every opportunity to undermine the current leadership in order to create chaos and confusion.
7. The FBU could play an important role in challenging this and building support for an agenda that puts public services and workers’ rights at the centre of politics.
Affiliation, firefighters and the fire and rescue service
1. The Executive Council resolution is clear that any decision to affiliate does not mean endorsing decisions of local Labour representatives who may sit on fire and rescue authorities.
2. The union will continue to oppose all cuts to public services and challenge those who implement such cuts. That will include Labour authorities or councillors who do so. The union already has policy supporting councillors who stand up and oppose cuts to public services.
3. Within the Labour Party the union would set out the case for a new approach to the fire and rescue service. This would be based on our case for:
a. Genuine planning for risk.
b. Addressing the full range of risks facing our communities in the 21st century.
c. Genuinely professional standards for the fire and rescue service, including for equipment, training, procedures and planning.
d. Opposition to privatisation, outsourcing and mutualisation.
e. Opposition to any reduction in local democratic accountability – e.g. by PCCs or mayors.
f. A commitment to trade union rights and recognition and to national collective bargaining.
4. Using this approach we would make the case for a clear commitment from Labour for such an approach to be taken at a national and local level.
What affiliation would mean – and what it would not mean
1. The FBU was affiliated to Labour from the 1920’s until 2004.
2. The decision to affiliate or not is a Conference decision (Rule H3). The decision to disaffiliate was taken by FBU Conference in 2004.
3. Any such affiliation would be paid from the union’s Political Fund (Rule H1).
4. Individual members may choose not to pay the Political Fund by opting out (NI rules are different since the legislation is different). Disagreement on aspects of the political strategy does not prevent membership or prevent participation in any of the other activities of the union.
5. Members may also opt to pay the Political Fund but indicate that no such money should be used for a party affiliation (Rule H1(3)).
6. On the basis of these rules the Executive Council would have the authority, to approach the question of affiliation as suggested i.e. of not using Political Fund money from Region 1 or Region 2 to support affiliation.
7. Subject to the decision of Conference, the union could opt for various levels of affiliation. This could take account of:
• The different position in different part of the union – especially Region 1 and Region 2.
• The fact that members hold different political views – as reflected in our own surveys of members.
• In other words an affiliation would not mean affiliating every member of the FBU to the Labour Party. The level would be decided by the union not by the Labour Party.
8. Affiliation would enable the union to participate in Labour Party structures, including its Conference, policy making etc.
9. Affiliation would not mean endorsing every Labour policy or any particular policy supported by Jeremy Corbyn or John McDonnell. The FBU sets its own policy through Conference.
10. Re-affiliation would not mean individual FBU members would become Labour Party members, or necessarily pay towards the party or have to vote for it. Individual FBU members would obviously be free to pursue their own political activities as before.
11. Re-affiliation would not prevent the FBU from engaging with politicians from other parties.
12. Re-affiliation may create some turbulence with Labour councillors who intend to vote for local budget cuts that impact on our members and our communities. The FBU will argue for investment in the fire and rescue service and against cuts – whoever makes them. We will seek to have Labour representatives who best articulate this view and who stand up against Tory attacks.
13. Re-affiliation would not prevent the FBU from criticising the Labour Party or individual Labour MPs, councillors or other representatives. The union will be the voice of firefighters within the Labour Party and campaign for firefighters’ interests, without fear or favour.
Members are asked to think carefully about these various issues, which are obviously very important. Please take part in the discussion and debate.
Best wishes.
Yours fraternally
MATT WRACK
GENERAL SECRETARY
