UK News 26-11-2002 Firemen Cannot Win Says PM who: Tony Blair what: Tells striking firemen they will not win pay dispute where: Downing Street, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Prime Minister Tony Blair has taken a tough line with striking firefighters, warning they cannot win their pay dispute," reports The Evening Standard. "His warning comes as tens of thousands of teachers and council workers are set for a 24-hour strike in London in a row over allowances, threatening the greatest number of strikes in the capital since 1979`s Winter of Discontent." The nationwide Fire Brigades Union strike is now in its fifth day of eight and Mr Blair told press yesterday that standing up to them was not a question of macho posturing but because any other stance "would be a defeat for the country". "I think people are sensible enough to know there is no return to the old days," he said, quoted in The Times today. "But if we were to give in to this claim, people might start saying we should do the same and we will get the above-inflation pay rise not linked to modernisation." The Times reckons that Mr Blair "is seeking to head off a wave of strikes by appointing a troubleshooter on industrial relations and urging ministers and unions to broker three-year wage deals across the public sector." That troubleshooter is likely to be pensions minister Ian McCartney, whose job will be to repair the government`s links "with new left union general secretaries such as Andy Gilchrist, the firefighters` leader." Meanwhile, as the armed forces continue to deputise for the strikers, The Guardian asks who is making the hundreds and hundreds of hoax 999 calls which make their jobs so much harder and, more importantly, why do they do it? And The Sun dedicates its cover story to 21-year-old Navy Wren Amy Stubbs, who is pictured holding a baby in her arms after rescuing him from a burning building. [... more]

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