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"SOCIALIST WORKER reaches the parts the mainstream press doesn't. Its tireless support for workers in struggle, including firefighters, and its persistent exposure of the failings of capitalism makes it compulsive reading. I would recommend it to all those involved in the fight for justice, peace and socialism." Paul Embery, Branch Secretary Islington FBU

LONDON firefighters are in explosive mood. Firefighters across east London only took 999 calls on Tuesday of last week. They were defending the FBU's policy of not cooperating with the government's so called independent inquiry into firefighters' pay.

ABOUT 450 people attended a Stop the War Coalition public meeting in Liverpool last week. It was held two days after the huge anti-war demonstration in London and included speakers such as Bob Wareing MP, Bruce Kent, Lindsey German and a local FBU union official.

FIREFIGHTERS AND control staff across Britain are already returning a big yes vote in their strike ballot, which began last week, according to Fire Brigades Union regional reps. Documents from the Ministry of Defence have revealed that the government is to ship 3,000 of the troops it had trained to scab on any strike to the Gulf. Last weekend also saw a taste of the kind of propaganda New Labour is prepared to put out in an effort to undermine high levels of public support for the FBU union's campaign.

THREE MEMBERS of the Fire Brigades Union explain why they oppose the war and why people should back their crucial pay campaign as they begin voting next week for the first national firefighters' strike for 25 years.

FIREFIGHTERS AND control room staff were in confident but angry mood in the run-up to their union's recalled conference in Manchester this week. They are confident as indications flood in from across Britain that 55,000 FBU union members are prepared to vote overwhelmingly to strike over pay.

OVER 2,000 firefighters and their supporters converged on Belfast from around Northern Ireland and Britain as the firefighters' campaign for decent pay hotted up last weekend. This latest Fire Brigades Union (FBU) demonstration had the same confident and vibrant spirit shown on previous demonstrations on the streets of London, Glasgow and other cities.

ABOUT 1,000 firefighters and their families joined a march in Swansea on Saturday as part of the accelerating national pay campaign. Two days later 400 marched on the Isle of Wight. It was the perfect answer to the chief officer there, who had boasted to local Fire Brigades Union (FBU) officials that they would "never get anyone to turn out for a march on the Isle of Wight".

THE MOOD for a serious fight over pay in the fire brigade is hotting up. Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) were to march in Swansea this Saturday and the union has called further demonstrations on the Isle of Wight and in Belfast next week.

THE firefighters' FBU union last week announced that it was going to recall its national conference in Manchester on 12 September in its battle over pay. This conference would start a national strike ballot to fight for basic pay of £30,000 a year.

FIRE BRIGADES Union (FBU) members are outraged at the employers' response to their pay claim. The body representing the employers last week rejected the union's call for a new pay formula that would increase the pay of firefighters to £30,000, with comparable increases for control room staff.

A FIREFIGHTERS' rally ended in a militant display of direct action in London last Thursday. Some 1,000 members of the firefighters' FBU union turned out for the rally in support of the national pay claim.