The NUJLeft offers its full support to London firefighters and tube staff who are on strike this week and in the coming months.
The attacks on these workers will lead to loss of pay and jobs, worse working conditions, and undermine the safety of our public services.
Unions attacked
The FBU and RMT are also being attacked because they are militant left unions which have defended their members over the years. These attacks are no doubt co-ordinated at Boris Johnson’s London administration and have the full support of the Con-Dem government.
If the RMT and FBU are defeated then this would demoralise other sections of workers who are facing the massive Con-Dem cuts.
Media attacks
The media have vilified both firefighters and Tube workers in attempt to isolate them and soften them up for attack. Workers on strike are rightly angry about the coverage they have been receiving.
We in the NUJleft are also angered by the attacks on our fellow brothers and sisters. Most journalists have nothing to do with these attacks, which are usually orchestrated by management.
The very week that the Firefighters and RMT are on strike, NUJ staff at the BBC are also striking in defence of their pensions. They too have been vilified with claims that staff have gold-plated pensions when it’s the management with the slush funds and pension top up schemes.
Many journalists are suffering from attacks on jobs, wages, and terms and conditions the same as firefighters and tube workers.
Solidarity
We believe that all workers in struggle against the cuts should stand together.
• We encourage all NUJ members to visit FBU and RMT picket lines and hold collections at work for them and the BBC workers.
• Invite strikers to your chapel or branch meetings.
• Get involved in local anti-cuts committees and public meetings. Help spread the message why people are on strike and fighting back
• Challenge where possible poor or partial reporting in the media of the strikes.
Victory to the striking firefighters, tube workers and BBC journalists.
Posted by Keith Sellick
Tags: FBU, firefighters, NUJ, solidarity, strike
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 at 11:46am and is filed under solidarity, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.Both comments and pings are currently closed.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by keith sellick and LambethWP, NUJ Left. NUJ Left said: Solidarity with striking firefighters and tube workers | statement of the NUJ Left http://goo.gl/KkM6 [...]
Can NUJ members not refuse to print the bosses’ anti-firefighter rhetoric?
@Danni – if only. We don’t control the printers and the print unions were largely destroyed in the 80s. Also, the worst offenders for anti-union rhetoric are newspapers where we’re not recognised – the Mail, all the Murdoch papers, Evening Standard. Add to that the fact that our industry has been under attack for the past few years, with massive cuts across the board, we’re fighting for the survival of many parts of the media.
Sorry, I didn’t mean print, I meant report on. I take your point though – shame.