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The fight over pensions is back on. That’s the message from FBU picket lines across England and

Wales. But after this weekend’s action we have to escalate the strikes if we are going to win this dispute.

The call for strikes over three days was a good way to restart the campaign. But it’s time to ramp up the pressure.

A week of strikes would hit the government hard, stretch the employers and show everyone concerned that the “gloves have come off ”.

If any brigade is locked out the whole of the union should strike for the duration.

Resilience in parts of the country is at breaking point. We must take this opportunity and escalate our action.

The attacks on our pensions have to be stopped.

Coordinated actionWe need to be talking to other unions who are fighting back about coordinating our action with them. The FBU is strong enough to win this dispute but action alongside other workers would make us even stronger.

Our strikes come at the end of a week that has seen London Underground workers strike for 48 hours against job cuts and ticket office closures. They are set to start a 72 hour strike on Monday.

Teachers have voted for more strikes after successful action on 26 March, and local government workers are set to ballot for strikes against a derisory 1 percent pay offer.

This could lead to joint action by up to a million public sector workers in the summer. Health workers are also consulting for action on pay.

Our latest strikes mark the end of a long pause in our action. FBU leaders

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Firefighters.02/05/14

hoped that a period of negotiation would lead to a settlement.

But while the union negotiated, the government was busy implementing its own agenda.

With the latest increase in pensions contributions imposed at the start of April, this in effect removed the issue from the dispute for many members.

The focus of the negotiations has been the issue of actuarial reduction. That is, how much it will cost you if you want to retire between the ages of 55-60.

It was in this area that the union felt some progress was being made prior to the budget, which the government have used to further stall on a settlement.

Actuarial reduction, and the issue of capability dismissal, remain the two most important issues at stake in the dispute.

It is now clear that without a serious fight the government remain happy to string the union along all the way to 2015, when the new pension will be implemented.

In order not to jeopardise negotiations the union took its foot off the “action” pedal.

But this reduced the pressure that had built up on the government, allowing it to use announcements in the budget to further postpone any offer.

Tough It’s really good that the latest action has been accompanied by tough talk from the FBU leadership. We’re being told “the gloves can come off ” now.

But that means that we have to step up the fight. It means no more long gaps between strikes – longer, harder hitting strikes are what we need.

Every strike the union has called has received enthusiastic support from members.

If the union campaigns to escalate over the coming weeks it will be possible to win support for a serious programme of strikes.

Many activists have been frustrated with the pace of action. The union now needs to show that we are fighting to win.

EsCalaTE ThE sTrikEs To win This fighT

Pickets at Brixton fire station on FridayPhoto: Guy Smallman