We say 'no' to the divide and rule tactics of Devon and Somerset Fire Authority

At the recent meeting in Ilfracombe held by campaigners looking to stop the attempt by Devon and Somerset Fire Authority to remove full-time manning from four stations in Devon (Ilfracombe, Exmouth, Paignton and Plympton), FBU secretary Trevor French condemned attempts by the Authority to set "one station against another as a means of being able to divide and conquer."

He is spot on, as is the FBU approach to this problem, and the problem of the previous proposals to remove dedicated crews from aerial platforms in several towns, a measure that was defeated. The proposal as a whole needs to be defeated as a concept, not just as the right concept but in the wrong towns. It is an absolute matter of public safety that all areas the size of Ilfracombe need full-time crews. Even the Chief Fire Officer admitted as much when he conceded that simply maintaining a retained crew would increase response times.

The aerial platform cuts were wrong, these staffing cuts are wrong. They are wrong everywhere, not just Ilfracombe, not just Devon. Unfortunately, Rodney Cann, a member of the Fire Authority and Tory county councillor for Fremington in North Devon, said that the aerial platform cuts should be looked at again rather than the staffing cuts. Others at the meeting agreed. However, the reason we and the FBU opposed those cuts was public safety as well. Only a few months ago a large fire in Ilfracombe needed a quick response from the aerial platform in Barnstaple.

We must demand no cuts, no exceptions. The FBU are of the same mind. They are aware of the safety implications far more than opportunistic Tories looking to get on a bandwagon while passing cuts. A curious argument for the front-line cuts by Trevor Stratford, the assistant Chief Fire Officer was that 90% of the budget for Ilfracombe goes on front-line services (i.e. equipment and staff) - in other words, it is already cut to the bone, so lets cut into the bone.

We demand:

A fully funded and well staffed and equipped fire service where the priority is public safety not budget cuts. There is plenty of money for the shareholders of privatised public services, nuclear weapons and war, we demand it is spent on essential public services.

A public fire service, with no place for private profit.

Wages and conditions of service for firefighters and other important staff, that they deserve - much better.

Recent postal action update from 'the socialist'

PUBLIC SUPPORT for the Communication Workers Union (CWU) action remains strong and in Bideford on 2 August only four out of 80 crossed the lines and scabbed. In Ilfracombe only two went in. And in Barnstaple only five out of 138 workers went in with no slippage in support.
Socialist Party members are helping to distribute CWU leaflets and have been approached by CWU reps to start organising a rally with other unions - NUT, UNISON, FBU - and are looking to contacts with the PCS and RMT. The theme will be 'Public Service not Private Profit'. It is hoped to expand this to other areas.

In the 'English Riveria', Torquay, a very effective leadership has led to a solid 100% turnout of CWU members. There are reports of unoffical 'work to contracted hours' and rows over use of workers' own cars, which has saved this bullying management millions of pounds over the years.
This '100%' was reflected in Newton Abbot. Teignmouth remains at 95% out, with reports coming in of agency workers being used. This apparently is illegal and a waste of time - one agency worker finished their round on a non-strike day at 7.30pm!

Sean Brogan

----UPDATE----

Since this was published in 'the socialist' the strike action has been postponed until September. Worringly, negotiations are taking place in secret behind closed doors, with only Royal Mail bosses Leighton and Crozier and CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes and Deputy General Secretary Dave Ward present. It does seem that Hayes and Ward are prepared to just get a few scraps off of Crozier and Leighton, despite the fact that anything short of complete victory for the postal workers in this struggle would open the doors for privatisation and the break up of the postal service which will lead to further setbacks in the future and weaken the power of the union to campaign and fight for its members.

JL

3rd May elections and recent activity

On Saturday 28th April, Devon Socialist Party members and CNWP supporters leafletted the Ilfracombe East ward with anti-BNP leaflets. The leaflets put forward class arguments and posed the question of a new alternative to the main parties for workers. The BNP candidate subsequently failed miserably, garnering just 63 votes. Also on the 28th, members did stalls in Exeter and Taunton and sold over 30 newspapers. On the Sunday, members travelled up to Bristol to assist with Tom Baldwin's election campaign in Windmill Hill. He got a good vote in the end, and was praised by the PCS union for his answers to the questions they asked of all council candidates.

We expressed our solidarity with the striking PCS members on 1st May.

There will be a full analysis of the local, Scottish and Welsh elections on here shortly, including the votes for Socialist Alternative candidates, the state of the BNP vote and lessons for anti-fascist work and the situation in Scotland.

Fight the fascist BNP in North Devon

The BNP have raised their ugly heads in North Devon - they are standing a candidate called Dave Moore in the Ilfracombe East ward for North Devon District Council. Now, this bloke doesn't stand much chance of winning, but he might do well enough for the BNP to establish a foothold in Ilfracombe, a town where the attractive tourist-friendly sea front masks a great deal of poverty and deprivation.

North Devon Socialist Party is conducting a mass leafleting of the ward on Saturday 28th April. We need as many people to come along as possible to help, regardless of whether you are a member of the party. This is partly because of the scale of the task, partly as a show of strength. Please email Socialist Party Devon if you can help: socialistpartydevon@gmail.com