OVER three hundred firefighters lobbied the Fire Authority meeting in SE London yesterday, where the decision was being made to defy Tory Mayor Boris Johnson’s decision to proceed with savage cuts.
These cuts include the closure of 12 fire stations, the removal of 18 engines and the slashing of 520 firefighters’ jobs in London.
Only two weeks ago the Fire Authority voted to oppose the savage cuts, however, Johnson has demanded they overturn their decision and has instructed the Fire Commissioner to force through the cuts.
At the lobby, Paul Embery, Regional Secretary of the FBU, addressed the angry crowd of firefighters.
He said: ‘Boris Johnson, during his election campaign pledged he would not cut any frontline services, fire engines, fire stations and firefighters.’
A firefighter, angry at Johnson, shouted from the crowd ‘Liar!’
Embery continued: ‘We will be doing everything we can and we will save and protect the service we work for and the service we love.’
Firefighters then chanted: ‘Boris out! Tories out!’ and ‘What do we want? No fire cuts! When do we want it, Now!’
Speaking to News Line Embery added: ‘The Fire Authority are discussing an instruction from Boris Johnson to overturn their previous decision.
‘Boris Johnson has instructed the Fire Commissioner to go on regardless and it looks like the Fire Authority meeting is set to defy the Mayor. If that happens the ball is back in Boris’s court and he may well take it through the courts.
‘I would not rule out strike action and we are entirely sympathetic to the idea of peaceful protest which may include occupying fire stations.’
Ian Leahair, Executive Committee member of the London FBU, said: ‘The cuts that this government is proposing are going to have a detrimental effect on the fire service.
‘The privatisation of the fire service, or any other emergency service, has no place in any modern society.
‘I totally support any local communities that occupy fire stations to keep them open, in fact I would positively encourage such action.
‘I would encourage everyone to get involved and occupy any fire station threatened with closure.
‘After all, they are the public’s fire stations, the fire stations are not owned by Boris Johnson and they are not owned by the Fire Authority.’
Dick Clark, a member of the Forest Hill FBU branch, said: ‘We are fed up with paying for the cuts caused by the private sector and the banks.
‘We are being made to suffer while they are still getting high pay rises and million pound bonuses.
‘It is the same with teachers, the NHS and the other public services, and that is why I am happy to call for a general strike.’
Firefighter Piccirillo, from Whitechapel FBU, said: ‘The 7p a week cut to council tax that Boris Johnson proposes as a political gesture is not worth the price of human life.
‘What the frontline services are about is the time it takes to reach the premises on fire and the amount of resources available to put that fire out.
‘If either of these are reduced then lives will be put at risk.’