FAMILIES & FRIENDS ON THE FIRESIDE
Saturday 14 December 2002
St Mary's Church, Somers Town, Eversholt St. London NW1
(Corner of Aldenham St. & Eversholt St.  Undergrounds Mornington Crescent or Euston)
Wheelchair access at entrance only – sorry no wheel chair accessible toilet.  Crèche & Refreshments

12-1pm – Welcome & refreshments
1-3pm –   Public meeting with speakers:  
               Ruth Winters, President, Fire Brigades Union (FBU)
               Andy Gilchrist, General Secretary, FBU
               Kerry Baigent, Secretary  National Women's Committee
               Members of National Women's Committee
               Partners, families and children . . . of fire service workers
               Niki Adams, Global Women's Strike (read speech here)
               The N. Staffs Miners’ Wives Action Group
               Women of the Waterfront
               Other public service workers

3-6pm –   Workshop for FBU members & their families

The government and the press have stated that the employers have women workers' interests at heart.  But FBU women members and FBU families know better.  They are the ones who have to make do  with low pay and the stresses on themselves and the rest of the family of a highly responsible and dangerous job.

FBU women will not be put against other workers who have as much right to decent wages as MPs, in fact more!  The government claims it can't afford decent wages for those who serve the public.  But why is the safety, health, education, welfare and care of people not the priority for government expenditure?

What FBU women demand is real modernisation:

- real flexibility for workers
- job share opportunities
- access to crèche facilities or childcare payments
- the current shift systems to incorporate enough staff to allow for time off for family or caring roles
- sensible and acceptable maternity/paternity provisions with adequate pay and leave
- equal pay for work of equal value
- more staff to reflect diversity, not more overtime
- equitable national standards of recruitment
- freedom from discrimination and harassment.

Coordinated by
FBU National Women’s Committee, 68 Coombe Road, Kingston-u-Thames, Surrey, KT2 7AE Tel: 020 8541 1765  office@fbu.org.uk
Global  Women’s Strike 230a Kentish Town Rd  London NW5 2AB Tel: 020 7482 2496  womenstrike8m@server101.com  http://womenstrike8m.server101.com

From One Strike to Another: Speech on behalf of the Global Women’s Strike by Niki Adams, to the meeting Families and Friends on the Fireside

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