 January 29, 2003New union law to crush fire strikeBy Jill Sherman and Philip Webster
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Mr Prescott's patience with the Fire Brigades Union finally snapped as he declared that he would take emergency powers to impose a pay settlement on the striking firefighters. A Bill will be introduced next month which will allow him to impose pay, terms and conditions. The legislation, which will be rushed through the Commons in weeks, will also give him direct powers to close fire stations and change working practices. The Prime Minister, who has said that he regards the leadership of some far-left unions as "Scargillite", also made clear that he was determined to take hardline measures to end the dispute, leaving the union movement shocked by such an openly confrontational approach. Bill Morris, of the Transport and General Workers Union, said he deeply regretted that a Labour Government was planning to re-enact 40-year-old legislation and apply it to modern industrial relations. And Paul Kenny, a leading figure in the GMB union, said there could be civil war in the labour movement if the Government did not back down. Elsewhere, however, the movement's public reaction was muted, suggesting that support for the FBU among the big unions has dwindled. The Trades Union Congress, which said it was concerned that the dispute was becoming increasingly polarised, offered to help the FBU reach "a fair settlement" through talks. Other union leaders believe that the FBU has made unrealistic demands, squandered public support, and should not be stretching the resources of the Armed Forces when they are being prepared for war. But they are also nervous about the implications for other public-sector strikes. As 19,000 troops stood in again yesterday to cover the first day of a 48-hour walkout, Mr Prescott told the Commons that he would no longer tolerate the "cat and mouse" game the union was playing with its 24-hour and 48-hour strikes. The dispute had been one of last-minute ultimatums and walkouts which created maximum confusion with minimum pain for firefighters. Andy Gilchrist, FBU general secretary, immediately accused the Government of "bullying tactics" and refused to call off the 48-hour strike planned from Saturday. He said the announcement was a "desperate act by desperate people" and that Mr Prescott himself had twice blocked a settlement of the dispute. Mr Prescott told the Cabinet last Thursday that he was hopeful that there would be no further strikes, but that if he was wrong the Government would have to be ready to take drastic action. With the reports of pay review bodies covering hundreds of thousands of public-sector workers to be published soon, ministers have been determined to give no ground to the firefighters and have insisted that any rise above inflation must be tied to modernisation. "This is another signal that investments in public services will not be swallowed up by pay," a government source said. The move had been taken "to inject a dose of reality into this dispute. It is clear that the FBU are not serious about a negotiated settlement or modernisation. This should focus their minds." On Monday, when firefighters' leaders dashed hopes of an early settlement, Mr Prescott and Mr Blair met to discuss taking legal powers to try to force the end of the strike. The move will not halt the strike and could inflame the situation, but ministers believe that the firefighters will be deterred from further strikes if they know that their pay is no longer to be negotiated. Employment relations experts could not recall a similar move and said the announcement ranked with a ban on prison officers taking industrial action imposed by the Conservatives in the mid-1990s. David Davis, Shadow Deputy Prime Minister, said the Government's proposal could inflame the situation without resolving it. It remained "absolutely unclear" what the Government would do if firefighters continued to strike, he said. Key points
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