Shouting theatre in a crowded fire – Scotland’s firefighters betrayed by their own union

In the Guardian today, the above and this below:

Wrack, the general secretary of the 34,000-strong Fire Brigades Union, said: “The debate on workers’ rights is a key issue for all unions as we approach a general election. As a policy, it is very popular with our members but it is popular with the voters as well.

“We know Labour will come under pressure from business interests but there should be no backtracking and no weakening. Labour needs to deliver this as one of its top priorities. If there is a rolling back there will be significant anger.”

Meanwhile in Scotland:

One of Scotland’s most senior firefighters has called for “urgent action” as figures show that some of the country’s fire stations are no longer fit for purpose thanks to SNP budget cuts.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has issued figures showing that almost half of its 356 fire stations are deemed to be in “poor or bad” condition, while two-thirds of the total SFRS estate is more than 30 years old. Fourteen fire stations also have issues with Raac (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) panels, and have had temporary supports installed to reinforce roofing.

And, of course, no mention of how the SNP has actually protected Scottish firefighters form the cuts in England that Labour will not commit to reversing: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2023/10/24/a-risk-to-life-in-fire-well-a-firefighter-union-wants-you-to-believe-that-yet-fire-deaths-are-down-by-60-but-staffing-is-only-down-13/

As with so many Scottish union leaders – from the BMA to the EIS and the GMB – members betrayed to shelter Scottish Labour from full scrutiny.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/06/labour-scaling-back-workers-rights-plan-would-be-disastrous-tcu-president

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/years-brutal-snp-budget-cuts-32698603

9 thoughts on “Shouting theatre in a crowded fire – Scotland’s firefighters betrayed by their own union”

  1. Never mind a Bonfire of the Vanities – we need a bonfire of these union leaders who simply do NOT represent their members but have absolved their responsibilities to those who pay their wages in order to curry favour with two guys (Sarwar/Starmer ) who make a corkscrew look straight .

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  2. O/T

    John Swinney has barely had time to draw breath as the new SNP leader but the BBC are already off their marks & it’s……go go go …

    BBC website Scottish Politics …..currently 7 stories on John Swinney….slow news day for Sarwar & Dross then….and too their respective HQ’s…..I beg to differ……there is a list of stories relating to them also but just not on the BBC Scotland page….BBC Scotland tore up that memo…..LOL

    Here’s a sample of some of the Headlines on their website re John Swinney.

    “Big tensions remain in SNP as Swinney takes leadership”

    “Will John Swinney change the SNP’s fortunes”?

    “How will Scotland’s next first minister be chosen” ?

    There is also a story still up from 5 days ago on the former FM

    “Humza Yousaf says he ‘paid price’ for upsetting Greens”

    If you are visitor to Scotland and decide to peruse the BBC website Scottish politics page you would be forgiven for thinking no other political party existed in Scotland (apart from a mention of the Green party re HY)….or rather if you were aware that other political parties did exist in Scotland you would then (wrongly) assume that there was never any news of any political significance related to them ….or indeed their respective HQ’s…..and if you were really ignorant you may even assume the BBC website Scottish politics page was a page dedicated ( not as in tribute LOL)to the SNP and thus only covered news pertaining to them, the SNP, alone….not a PR exercise…..but the opposite….more really what seems like a protest site set up to oppose, harass and ultimately try to destroy the SNP as a party and as the current Scottish government….

    In fact talking of PR the BBC website Scottish news & politics is more a site that engages in PR for other political parties in Scotland…..currently they, the BBC here, are working as (not so secret) agents on behalf of the Labour party…..which conflicts with their colleagues down south who work on behalf of the Tories…..though they do both find time ,as an organisation, to also work together against Scotland, against the SNP and also against independence…..in fact there is more that unites them than divides them when it comes to politics in Scotland……..especially via the SNP.

    I think we all know who generates most of the ‘division’ that Keir Starmer recently referred to……that would be BBC news where we are (and also Starmer, his party & other pro UK political parties and their branch offices in Scotland & too other HQ leaders as well do their bit also)….plus many of the other Pro UK media as well….

    “Time to end the UK’s divisions. Labour is for everyone” said Starmer….

    “Everyone” ?....that’s except Jeremy Corbyn, Muslims who support Palestine, anyone who supports Palestine over Israel, independence supporters, anti Trident protestors, Left wing politicians and their supporters, Labour councillors in Edinburgh who would not vote with the Tories, workers on picket lines, Diane Abbott…..what else or rather who else…..LOL

    I would say the Labour party was more like an exclusive club…..hence why the Labour party is currently cosying up to wealthy donors…..alas , their club, offers ordinary members quite a limited choice as to what and who they can support and thus they, Labour, impose a very restricted freedom of speech being tolerated….. and one is also limited to what freedom one has to act on behalf of issues/people etc that one wants to support and promote……so the Labour party is not really for “everyone” it’s actually only for the people and issues that Starmer endorses , supports and allows or rather expects members to also promote…….and resistance is futile and if one is not in sync with the Labour party line that then results in a suspension or worse….expulsion from the party (club)…….

    Labour Party…..with them….”Change” is never gonna come !

    NMRN

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  3. The Trade Union’s fund the Labour Party. Collude with employers instead of their members. If the Trade Union’s are not happy stop funding Labour.

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  4. Yes I agree……..wonder how many workers realise that they pay a political levy to the Labour Party which is added on to there union fees………also wonder how many know that they can waver that political levy? Bet the Labour supporting unions don’t tell the workers that!!!

    JB

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  5. O/T I have no doubt that amongst its party and elected members, the Labour Party in Scotland has some straightforwardly decent people who also remain committed to progressive, left of centre political objectives. But within the Labour Party – what some people in England at least are now calling ‘Labour in Name Only’ (LIMO) – there is Ian Murray MP.

    I’ve taken a peep into a place where Labour people communicate with Labour people online and its revealing of Mr Murray’s approach to political discourse. I discovered his recent contribution to LabourList. For background, ‘LabourList provides the leading dedicated forum for authoritative news, insightful analysis and robust debate about the Labour Party across the UK’ and its purpose is ‘to provide a non-factional platform for rigorous debate and reflective analysis on Labour’s direction, facilitating a wide range of views from within the party and outside it – together informing and shaping the party’s future.’ (With my emphasis.)

    On 2 May 2024 LabourList published a comment piece from Mr Murray entitled: ‘John Swinney offers nothing new – Scotland can send a government to Westminster, not just a message’ (https://labourlist.org/2024/05/john-swinney-news-msp-who-election-snp/ ). Mr Murray appears to believe that frankly ridiculous exaggeration is enough to convince his Labour fellows of how exceptionally bad all matters are in Scotland: I hope serious supporters of left centre politics won’t be duped and will see through his crass prose even as he and his ilk are feted and protected by the BBC and most of the mainstream media in Scotland.

    Let’s pick just one of several dubious to outlandish claims raised by Mr Murray in his article, the one concerning education in Scotland during Covid: ‘the exam scandal in 2020 which devastated an entire generation of young people.’

    ‘Devastated’ and ‘entire generation’ – really? These were difficult times during the pandemic and the Scottish Government responded to mitigate harms from the way that exams were conducted and marked. I’ve seen hyperbole before but this from Murray is a wonder to behold!

    And not for the first time the stench of hypocrisy is strong as a little perspective reveals: let’s compare and contrast Labour’s track record on the same issue at the same time. From the BBC News website’s Wales section on 22 January 2021: ‘Covid: ‘Significant failure’ over handling summer exam grades’.

    Here we learn that: ’There was a “significant failure” in the way exam bodies in Wales handled awarding student grades in 2020, a report says. The independent review found there was “too much confidence” in statistical models, and the appeals process in place was inadequate. Qualifications Wales (QW) said it had learnt many lessons and WJEC exam board will look “in detail” at the findings.

    ‘Teaching union UCAC described the report’s findings as “scathing”: Its release comes after it was announced this week that teachers will make 2021 grade assessments. The review was ordered by the Welsh Government following the outcry over initial examination results awarded in August for A-level students.

    ‘In her foreword the report panel’s chairwoman Louise Casella, said substantial numbers of young people across Wales “were left feeling bewildered and distressed as they received A level results that bore no relation to their expectation and their abilities”. The result decision was reversed, and school’s predicted grades reinstated, but not before “some learners lost their university place and some were not able to progress as planned in 2020”, noted Ms Casella, who is also director of The Open University in Wales.’

    Is it possible that Mr Murray is simply unaware of the challenges faced by all governments during Covid and in particular, unaware of the difficulties and indeed failures of his own Labour colleagues in government in Cardiff? Or is this simply a politician whose Unionism permits – indeed necessitates for perceived political advantage – the exercise of hypocrisy EVEN when communicating with his own party supporters outside Scotland?

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  6. To JB at 9.25pm

    Yes, absolutely and I have experience of this.

    I was a firefighter for 30 years and at one local union meeting at our station I asked a question about what the ‘Political Levy’ on our union dues was for.

    I was told that it went to The Labour Party. Why only to The Labour Party I asked considering many individuals within the Fire Brigade will have different political views and is there not a procedure that directs Political Levies of the individuals choice to the party of their choice.

    No! was the reply because the FBU is affiliated to The Labour Party so the levy goes to the labour party.

    I explained that I have been a supporter of the SNP all my life so why should I be forced to pay money to the labour party.

    He then informed me that I could withdraw from paying the political levy.

    I withdrew.

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    1. Good on you!!! I see that in “Northern Ireland trade union members are legally exempt from contributing to a trade union’s political fund. If you want the political levy to apply to you, you must ‘contract in’ to the political fund. This applies to all Northern Ireland union members, regardless of where your union’s headquarters are.” So why not in Scotland or their little uk? Makes you wonder!!!

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