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Area Commander Dan Stephens Betrays Merseysiders

Joe Hill | 23.08.2006 17:22 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Liverpool

In an disgraceful betrayal of his fellow firefighters and the people of Merseyside in general, Area Commander Dan Stephens has used the Liverpool Echo to claim that "more than 100" scabs will cross FBU picket lines next week.

The face of a traitor
The face of a traitor


As previously reported, Merseyside firefighters have overwhelmingly voted to strike against the cuts proposed by the Fire and Rescue Authority and demanded by the government.

However, Dan Stephens is pushing himself forward as an ultra-loyal friend of the bosses, which makes him an enemy of his colleagues and the people of Merseyside.

In today's Liverpool Echo, Stephens insisted that "More than 100 FBU members are going to disregard the strike. That number will increase when they realise that they are not achieving anything from their action."

Merseyside Fire Brigades Union secretary Lee Skarratts commented that: "Merseyside fire crews do not want to take strike action at all. But be in no doubt we are prepared to take short periods of strike action to secure the fire service and safety for the long-term."

"A small number of members have drifted away, but we think that is for other reasons. We are concerned by the approaches made by senior managers for this issue. We have had confidential reports that there has been unwelcome attention to the membership of the union."

So the bosses are up to dirty tricks, and Stephens clearly believes his career is more important than the long-term safety of Liverpudlians. We must all support the overwhelming majority of firefighters, as it is their job to support us.

The mainstream media was bound to go for the throats of Merseyside FBU. But it is important to remember three things. First, they are trying to make sure there will be at least as many fire engines and firefighters in the future. Second, there is no cover because the Territorial Army is standing by to go into Afghanistan. Third, part of the reason the government makes these cuts is that they are spending so much on war!

Joe Hill

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Disgust at your article

23.08.2006 21:26

I am disgusted at your attempt ti dicredit an officer of the fire service.

In fact it is those who strike that put the public at risk that you should be calling traitors>

A memberof the public who will be put at risk by a strike


Yes, Judas had his backers also

23.08.2006 23:30

To the above

Judas had people telling him "Yes mate, your right, the Romans will truly come down like a ton of bricks on us all if we support this trouble maker"

You sound like you are either a scab or related to one or are some sort of scab enabler. Such comments are not fit to be published on this website. Rest assured if it was my editorial duty, I'd promptly delete your words. Go to the Sun Website and join the rest of the morons following Murdoch and his Union Hating pieces of scab filth. Your words will fit in there and be applauded by other people whose IQ level must struggle to keep up with their age in years.

Thank God, my family and freinds would never ever cross a picket line. It is hard to imagine anything so disgusting.

Liverpool is showing the rest of this sick bigoted poor hating evil nation that the fight for the rights of working man and woman is something we've all neglected.

Might I suggest that the above contributor checks his or her smoke alarms, and does not make a pan of chips when they come home from the boozer.

Humble yourself before the Merseyside Fire Service.

Always support those who fight for the future wellbeing of the community.

Remember that nothing we have was given - not even the fire service.

Eyes Higher


Army to fight fires

24.08.2006 07:34

The TA may well be on stand by to go to Iraq but they could not anyway step into the fire fighters boots. Their Green Goccess fire engines, in storage for national emergencies since the 50's are all sat in a dealers yard in Witham.

The government tested themarket with 20 which made 7000 a piece and then flooded it with the other thousand. You can now buy one with all it's ecquipment for as little as 1500 pounds.

They were in storage for a variety of contingencies including drought. Isn't it interesting that the wealthy south is currently short of water in part because the GG are not there to move it from other parts of the country.

If you want to do a story on this I have photographs from inside the dealers yard, taken in places they try to keep the public out of.

Rhys

Rhys
mail e-mail: r.hughes16@ntlworld.com