The FBU - Save Your Fire Service Petiton

Please go sign the petition once you have read the article

I will always be honest with you.  I am not totally in agreement with many issues or some of the politics that the Fire Brigade Union support or sponsor.

However, that does not mean I cannot support them on those issues where I believe their cause is just and good for the people, such as their battles for pensions and keeping fire stations open.  Both just causes that deserve all of our support and for them, both personal differences and party politics should be set aside.

Given that across the disUnited Kingdom, Fire and Rescue Services are all under attack from within, with their own Senior Officers working to a common purpose using exactly the same script as the one Huw Jakeway and Barbie Chapman are reading from in Wales, I would have liked to have seen more coordinated action from the FBU in Blaenau Gwent.

I would have also have preferred it if, Blaina, Abertillery and Brynmawr had campaigned against the closure together rather than individually and perhaps that can still happen.  I am prepared to assist if needed.

Now I understand that Alex Psaila has taken over from Mark Watt of the FBU, and see this as a good thing, for reasons which I am not prepared to give out publicly but those in the know will understand why I say that.

However, I wish Alex had chosen his words with more care when he said in an interview on hearing the news that Fire Services shameful proposal was to go to a scrutiny committee for examination:

“We are really disappointed with the decision. We have the emotive arguments following what happened in the past, but also the professionalism of the crew.

“The reason why this station has been closed is because they have done their job so well, as shown by the figures given by Sally Chapman.

“We still have to wait for the scrutiny report and we will have representatives there.

" But ultimately this will result in loss of engines and loss of jobs - something the FBU are really against.

“It is a sad day for South Wales and for the FBU.”

Alex is making the same mistake as Welsh Assembly Member Alun Davies, who falsely reported that the Fire Authority had voted to close Blaina Fire Station, thereby giving the wrong impression, that it was a done deal, when the truth is, the proposal going to scrutiny means that the closure will now almost certainly be rejected, should it be examined fairly and honestly.

Now, moving on.  The Fire Brigade Union have launched a petition calling on the government to stop the coordinated attacks on the fire and rescue services, and I am ashamed to say that so far only 2,886 people have so far added their names.

Please now, go to this site, read what the Fire Brigade Union have to say and then add your name to the list, leave a comment so we can read it and that way you will have done something positive today for your community and for your fellow citizens.

Tomorrow I will be highlighting just how the Fire Service in Wales have wasted over a million pounds of your money in just one year.  A million pounds that could have payed for Blaina's operating costs for five years.