As the Fire Brigade union continue their strike, it is worth considering factors that resonate across most of the public sector.
As far as I am concerned (and NO ONE can convince me otherwise) the tories want the public sector work and jobs privatised.
They remind me of the Tim Robbins character in Shawshank Redemption, where he chips away at the wall in his cell over a period of years, using a rock hammer, in order to tunnel his way out and covers the resulting hole with a poster.
“That’s all it takes really, pressure, and time.” – Quote by “Red” (Played by Morgan Freeman after the discovery of Tim Robbins characters escape from prison)
That’s what the tories are doing, chipping away at the public sector, a little bit of privatisation here a little bit of privatisation there.
I think this is what they are trying to do with the fire service.
I imagine their tory mates are slavering at the thought of getting their trotters on the fire service.
It’ll be back to the old days, when you had to have fire insurance in order to pay for the services of a private fire fighter (who’ll probably be either self employed or on a zero hours contract, whilst the insurance company makes a bit fat profit)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_insurance_mark
Initially, Penny Mordunt MP, the fire minister, seemed to suggest to fire brigade union officials that there was room for negotiation with regards to fire brigade terms and conditions.
However, by the looks of this letter from the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) it looks like the treasury have told her to forget that.
http://www.fbu.org.uk/news/2014/10/members-circular-pensions-answers-penny-mordaunt-letter/
The devolved governments in Wales and Scotland have relaxed their initial stance:-
So support your fire fighters and don’t let this or any other government privatise the service…because one day, you may need these brave men and women.
The lovely wibbly wobbly old lady 
Reblogged this on sdbast.
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I with from afar in slack jawed amazement at the current government.
If you were a pessimist during the Thatcher years and thought “what will Britain be like in 30 years time?” You’d be something close to what exists now. It’s Thatcherism taken to its logical conclusion.
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I was around in the 80’s; working in the NHS as it happens. I thought Thatcher was bad enough, but this lot, they really take selfservatism to a whole new level. No ordinary citizen is safe from them, employed, unemployed, disabled, pensioners, immigrants… the only ones who benefit from a tory government are the CEOs of multi million pound turnover companies, hedge fund managers, tory doners and of course the tory MP’s.
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Reblogged this on amnesiaclinic and commented:
Right. What do firefighters do?? Basically they HELP people, any people in any tragic and traumatic situation.
Cannot have that!!
Please support them – you do not know when you will need them.
x
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Yes they help people, unlike the tories who just help themselves.
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Hell’s bells. Put the MPs on zero hours – pleeeeaze.
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How about community work placements for MPs …. the vision of Iain Duncan Smith stocking shelves in Poundland will help me to sleep at night 🙂
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Where is Spitting Image when we need it? 🙂
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