Posted on 11/24/2002 10:26:03 AM PST by babaloo999
Five people died and the home of a striking firefighter was hit by a suspected arson attack
as firefighters continued thier national walkout Saturday.
Soldiers manned antiquated firetrucks and firefighters stood on picket lines as politicians
and union leaders traded blame for the strike that has hobbled Britiain's fire service.
Troops and their outdated "Green Goddess" engines were called to several serious blazes,
filling in for 50,000 firefighters who walked off the job Friday morning.
A 27 year old man died in a house fire in Eccles, south of London, in the first fatal fire
during the strike. A military team at the scene was joined by striking firefighters who left
their picket line to battle the blaze.
Another man died in what police described as a suspicious fire at his home in Earlsdon, in
Central England. Two Green Goddess's arrived within five minutes of receiving the emergency call.
Army firefighters also were called to a house fire in Liverpool in which an elderly woman
died, and a blaze in a mobile home in Blackpool, in northwest England, in which a man died.
Afourth man died in a house fire in Woodstock, north of London. Nonstriking firefighters dealt with the blaze.
The wife and two children of a striking firefighter escaped unhurt after a lighted paper
was pushed through the front door of their home in Kenilworth, central England. The family was alerted by smoke alarms. Forensic officiers and detectives are
investigateing the incident.
the firefighters began an eight day strike to back their demand for a hefty pay increase
after las-minute talks with local authrities broke down early friday.
The fire Brigades Union and employers said they had been on the verge of a deal, and
blamed Prime Minister Tony Blair's government for scuttling th negotiations.
Any free person has the right to withhold their labour.
I agree with both positions.
What makes compatible what would seem to be mutually exclusive positions, is that a public employees have advantages that a private employees do not. Also, private customers do have a choice, while the "public" customers, and employers of the firemen do not have a choice.
If the workers at Chevy strike, the customer can wait for the strike to end, or buy a Ford. If ones house is on fire and the fire department is on strike, the situation is not the same. Also, Chevy could well go completely out of business, leaving the right to strike Chevy, moot. On the other hand, few cities or counties "go out of business", so a fireman has, essentially guaranteed life employment.
Therefore, public employee's should NOT have the right to strike in the interest of public safety. In return, the representatives of the public employees with a grievance should be, by statute, allowed immediate access to the courts and compulsory attendance to the proceedings by at least 1/3 rd. of the elected officials representing the government entity that employs the aggrieved public employees. (Fire, police, medical, sanitation, etc).
No strikes, no lost income, and a powerful venue to remedy grievances without endangering the public safety. Non-public employee's retain, by what I think is "Natural Law", the right to withold their labor.
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