SHERIDAN CONDEMNS PAY DEAL IMPOSED ON FIREFIGHTERS AND CALLS ON EXECUTIVE TO REJECT IT FOR SCOTLAND

Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan today condemned John Prescott for his statement that he would impose a settlement on the firefighters.

He said,

“This is an insult to the trade union movement coming from someone who pretends to be a friend of the trade unions. It is also a joke coming from a government which is bombing Iraq to supposedly bring them democracy. It seems the firefighters are to be denied their democratic rights to withdraw their labour. I am today placing a motion and raising a point of order in the Parliament to call on the Scottish Executive to refuse to follow this crass path.

Instead of imposing a pay deal which has been overwhelmingly rejected by FBU members, they should be providing the money to settle the FBU claim. This dispute has already lost the UK and the Scottish Executive more than it would have cost to settle the strike. It is time we paid the firefighters instead of attacking them in the press and imposing lousy deals on them.”

MOTION: That this Parliament condemns the Deputy Prime Minister’s intentions to impose a pay deal on the firefighters in England; and calls on the Scottish Executive to refuse to follow this route and instead to properly fund the firefighters’ pay claim and allow a free and negotiated settlement.
[ENDS]
For more information, contact Tommy Sheridan on 07887 795075 or Hugh Kerr on 0131 348 5631/07713 063647