Things Can Only Get Better!

The FBU’s historic decision to break with Labour is a reaction to the role of government ministers in the pay dispute, and reflects the deep anger and alienation of the population generally from Labour.

When Labour was elected in 1997 many of us looked forward to a future free from Thatcherism and a slavish adherence to the market economy, a future where the needs of people would be put before the demands of profit. But it quickly became apparent that we had been the victims of spin and double talk. The New Labour administration quickly jumped into bed with the enemy and embraced the global economy with orgiastic enthusiasm.

Trade and industry secretary, Stephen Byers, announced that "wealth creation is more important than wealth distribution", and Peter Mandelson declared that "we are intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich". Was Mandelson referring to the nation’s workers or Tony’s new cronies?

Labour has since pushed ahead with plans to extend the privatisation of public services under the guise of private finance initiatives and public private partnerships. It is clear to working people, including trade union members, that New Labour is not delivering the goods.

Fire-fighters received a practical lesson in this when government ministers directly interfered in pay negotiations. In July 2002 at the Local Government Association conference, John Prescott instructed the national employers not to reach agreement on an evolving offer. Again, on ‘the night of the long knives’ in November 2002, Ministers thwarted a potential deal that could have avoided an eight-day strike.

This government’s motives for interfering in the FBU dispute are clear. This party of big business simply could not allow public-sector workers to assert themselves and win a pay rise.

What kind of signal would that have sent to the millions of workers on minimum wage and casual, zero-hour contract jobs? They just might organise themselves and follow the lead given by the FBU! Blair’s new friends would not have liked that!

Our conference decision means we still have a political fund available for political aims and objects, but no longer have to pay for the dubious honour of being shafted by the class traitors in the Labour Party!

This union will continue to campaign politically, but with the support of parties and individuals who identify with our objectives. We recognise the need for a voice and influence in parliament but we also recognise that New Labour is no more representative of the aims of the FBU than any of the other capitalist, establishment parties!

We must see that we are only at one point in history, just as our comrades were at the turn of the 20^th century when forming the Labour Party. Working people can never expect a fair shake in a political and economic system designed and operated by capitalists. Successive Labour governments have attempted to function within that system by serving the interests of the capitalist economy as opposed to the interests of the people who make the economy. It is impossible to serve two masters.

In recent years, trade unionists have voiced their disapproval at the direction of New Labour. The RMT decided to fund Scottish Socialist Party candidates and were expelled from Labour. The CWU has said that if the government proceeds with plans for privatisation it will withdraw funding from Labour.

The FBU has actually disaffiliated and other unions are reducing their funding as a measure to placate the growing call from their members for disaffiliation. A political vacuum now exists that can only be filled by a party that will represent faithfully the interests of workers in parliament. As this tide of opposition grows, trade unionists can only repeat the initiative taken by the founders of Labour and build a new political party. Such a party can be and must be a socialist party!