The march took place on the first day of a 48-hour strike by firefighters. The big majority of participants were firefighters from stations throughout Scotland and from other parts of the United Kingdom(UK). They were followed by smaller contingents from a number of other unions carrying banners.

"We are in this for the long haul now," said Martin Poynter, a firefighter from Newport and chairperson of the FBU branch there. Despite the snow that had closed airports in southern England the previous day, he had come with a delegation from the Isle of Wight. The small, largely rural island off the southwest coast of England is about as far from Glasgow as you can be and remain in the United Kingdom.

Poynter explained that Newport has the only full-time fire station on the island. The other nine fire stations are staffed by retained, or part-time, firefighters who are called out to fires from their jobs or homes. "Two of these stations would be closed" if the proposals of the Bain commission, a body set up by the government to review fire services, are implemented, he said.

Newport is the only fire station in the UK where the firefighters are locked out of the station during strikes, Poynter said. "We have been told that if we try to enter to get appliances to respond to life-threatening incidents, we will be prosecuted for ‘breaking and entering,’" he said. "A private security firm has been employed to check the fire station every three hours during a strike. This costs £400 ($650) for every 24 hours. But the support we’ve had is overwhelming."

Marchers passed out explanatory leaflets and a special FBU newspaper among the Saturday shopping crowds. Many young people also took red and yellow FBU flags and could be seen later in the day still carrying them around the city center.

The February 1-2 strike was the latest in a series of firefighters’ stoppages that started in November. The walkout followed in quick succession from a similar strike beginning January 28. On that day, picket lines received noisy support from passing motorists. In Bathgate, striking firefighters reported that local lorry (truck) drivers would turn back and return with fire wood if they passed and saw the stockpile for the picket line brazier was running low.

At some fire stations, the striking firefighters organized to hand out leaflets in local shopping centers. As in previous stoppages, some 19,000 armed forces personnel were mobilized as strikebreakers, operating their own fleet of fire trucks.

On February 3, talks took place between the FBU, the local authority employers, and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Prescott had previously reiterated his determination to implement the proposals of the Bain Commission. He also announced his intention of repealing section 19 of the 1947 Fire Services Act in order to impose a settlement on the FBU, a legislative proposal which was rejected by the Scottish parliament.

After this, the Trades Union Congress--the national union federation--intervened through its Contact Group of union General Secretaries, seeking a way to reopen negotiations. After a meeting of the union’s Executive Council that followed the negotiations, FBU General Secretary Andy Gilchrist announced that no further strike dates will be set at this stage. Talks at ACAS (the Arbitration and Conciliation Service) will begin on February 10 for a period of 4 weeks. The union has plans for regular national meetings and is planning to recall its annual conference on March 19.  
 
 
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