Socialism and the FBU

“The immediate aims of the Fire Brigades Union are to serve its members by winning for them the best possible conditions and to serve the community by encouraging its members to be skilled at their craft. The Fire Brigades Union recognises that workers however employed, can only improve their lot by their own endeavours and organisation. A richer and fuller life can be achieved only by similar means. To this end the Fire Brigades Union is part of the working-class movement and, linking with the international trade union movement, has as its ultimate aim the bringing about of the Socialist system of society.”

This extract from the FBU’s rulebook appeared on the union’s website till just after the first 8-day strike. Then it was removed, no doubt so as not to provide ammunition for the Labour government’s spin-doctors in their campaign to claim that the strike was political and aimed at bringing down the government. Of course it wasn’t; it’s a straightforward strike over wages and working conditions. In fact, the commitment to socialism as an “ultimate aim” is merely ceremonial and completely non-operational but at least it points in the right direction. Socialism and the abolition of the wages system is the lasting solution.