NE W S R E L E A S E FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY 28 JANUARY 2003
PRESCOTT IMPOSITION OF FIRE SERVICE DICTATORSHIP "UNBELIEVABLE", SAYS STUC
Commenting on today's announcement by Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, that the Government intends to scrap the Fire Service negotiating machinery, and impose cuts in service and a unilateral pay settlement, STUC General Secretary, Bill Speirs, said:
"This action by the Government is utterly unbelievable and undemocratic. Two months ago the employers and the FBU reached a deal which Mr Prescott vetoed, so for him to accuse the FBU of bad faith is utter hypocrisy.
"The Scottish Parliament must not allow this to happen in Scotland and Scotland's Councillors must reject this stripping away of their democratic rights and responsibilities."
NOTE FOR EDITORS:
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Bill Speirs
- Bill Speirs is speaking tonight at a debate at Oxford Union on the following motion: "This House believes that trade union militancy threatens British prosperity".