McAlister added, "We want less medals for bravery and more money for pay." The firefighters are claiming an hourly take-home wage of £8.50 (£1 = $1.57).

Up to 10,000 people turned out for the action. Groups of trade unionists from the Communication Workers Union, the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, and the UNISON public sector workers union marched with the FBU. At a rally in Hyde Park following the march, John Monks, the general secretary of the National Trades Union Congress, spoke in support of the FBU fight. So did representatives of the Transport and General Workers Union, the General Municipal and Boilermakers Union, and other unions.

The action followed two nationwide firefighters’ strikes in November. A third national strike, due to begin December 4, was called off when the union decided to take up a proposal to negotiate through the arbitration organization ACAS. During the strikes the government has mobilized close to 19,000 troops to drive fire trucks. Government officials from Prime Minister Anthony Blair on down have taken the lead in a propaganda campaign against the firefighters.

A further eight-day strike is due to start on December 16.

"The government accuses us of interfering in politics. If they are going to cut 10,000 jobs we have a right to intervene," said FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist to the rally in Hyde Park. Referring to the government’s last minute intervention to scuttle a deal reached in late November by the union and the employers, Gilchrist added, "We’ll try to find a negotiated settlement, but if the government tries to wreck it we will be back on strike."

Speaking to Militant reporters at the demonstration, McAlister--a firefighter for 28 years--recalled the last national strike 25 years ago. That action "lasted 63 days," he said. "It was even harder then--firefighters were so low-paid that 80 percent of them were claiming benefits."

Dewi Jones, a firefighter from Newport, South Wales, discussed the potential impact of demands by the employers--the Local Government Association--for increased overtime hours. "For the last 25 years our union has prevented overtime working," he said--a stand that has led to the creation of "6,000 extra jobs. The government is trying to put an end to this, to cover their job cuts with overtime working."  
 
Solidarity on picket lines
Firefighters paid tribute to the solidarity they have received, describing donations of food, money and Christmas presents. "We’ve had visits to our picket line from members of other unions and students at York university have organized collections for our union hardship fund," said Peter Clark, who marched with a contingent of firefighters from York.

Clark reported that part-time or "retained" firefighters, "who are not in the FBU and have not been on strike, have been joining us on the picket line after they finish work. They realize that this is a fight that affects them; if we lose then their conditions will come under attack. This fight affects all of us--Blair is trying to break our union, because we are strong."

In talks with employers the union is resisting attempts to eliminate night shift jobs, change shift patterns, and establish joint control rooms with the cops and the ambulance service. Clark explained that the latter proposal is part of a package of cuts that would "reduce our ability to respond rapidly to fires. Currently we guarantee to respond to a call within 10 seconds--but in joint control rooms calls would be answered on a ‘priority system,’ producing a slower response and leading to a loss of life."

A delegation of 38 FBU members came from Northern Ireland. "We have toured firefighters from the Irish Republic, who are members of SIPTU, around our picket lines last week," said Tony Maguire. SIPTU is the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union. The FBU, he said, "is planning a "cross-community march in the coming weeks in Belfast across nationalist and unionist [British loyalist] areas in the city--to show the support that exists for our fight."

At the end of the rally an announcement was made for a December 14 meeting of women firefighters, as well as firefighters’ partners and their families, to build support for the union’s struggle.  
 
 
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