Despite what you might think, this isn’t a whinge about the dreadful weather we’ve been having. Although I am getting rather annoyed that Summer seems to be disappearing into perpetual rain and a need for stout garments. No the title of this blog is a play on the phrase “Winter of Discontent”, taken from Shakespeare’s Richard III but used to described the Winter of 1978-9 when Britain faced widespread strikes by Trade Unions demanding larger pay rises for their members. The actions of the Trade Union movement back then were blamed for the demise of the Labour Government in the 1979 General Election. A cruel twist seeing as the Trade Union movement actually gave birth to the Labour Party and was its primary fundraisers. Fast forward nearly thirty years and the current Labour Government is in trouble again in the polls. Now to add to its woes the Trade Unions are once again kicking up a bit of a fuss. History repeating itself?
It’s unlikely that the industrial action carried out by Local Government sector workers today and tomorrow will enter into political folklore like the disruption brought about in 1978/9. Rubbish will not pile up on the streets, the dead will not go unburried. Mrs Thatcher’s severe anti-union employment laws of the 1980s will mean that sympathetic workers cannot strike in support. However Gordon Brown can well do without this sort of irritation from his union allies if he is to turn around negative polls and win the next election. While I do not wish for a return of a Conservative government (18 consecutive years of Conservative rule is enough to put you off the bastards for life), I have little sympathy for Labour as they have brought this on themselves.
I am a member of UNISON the public sector union. The union’s 600,000 members were balloted about strike action over the recent pay offer, and the reponse was in favour of strike action if necessary. As a result I am on strike for two days this week. The employers have offered a 2.45% rise while UNISON have asked for 6%. This might seem greedy but consider this…
Mortgages up 8%
Petrol up 22%
Bread up 9%
Milk up 17%
Fuel bills up 15%
Inflation up 4.3%
But council workers are being offered a pay rise of just 2.45%. Take inflation into account and it’s a pay CUT. Coming on top of 10 years below-inflation pay rises, it’s no wonder UNISON think this is the last straw. So we are striking on 16th and 17th July, and possibly again in the future if necessary.
It’s not because we want to. Many UNISON members are low-paid, part-time women workers, struggling to pay the bills - losing two days pay for strike action is not something done lightly. We are striking because the employers won’t even consider talking to us about a better offer. We know that the services we provide are essential to our community, and that shutting them down for two days will cause disruption and we’re genuinely sorry if people are inconvenienced. We just can’t afford another pay cut.
Furthermore unless we get a fair settlement on pay, local communities will suffer too. Services will simply get worse as councils continue to lose committed staff and struggle to find new employees prepared to work for such low pay. My particular department has problems finding high calibre IT staff as it cannot compete with the private sector salaries. Short staffed the department soldiers on trying to provide the same service with fewer resources, putting extra pressure on those who remain. Local council employees empty your bins, clean your schools, conduct your marriages and civil partnerships, care for your parks, check the safety of your food and look after your children in nurseries, schools and in care. And so much more.
The Labour government is desperate to keep inflation down and to avoid an economic recession. That strategy includes keeping public sector pay rises to the minimum. While there is money for wars and bailing out failing financial institutions there is nothing for the very section of society that the Labour party was set up to represent. Get it sorted Gordon. Public services cannot be done on the cheap, quality cannot be rewarded by empty praise and thanks alone. Support a decent pay rise for low paid local government workers.
“Summer of discontent” was my phrase.
But you have fleshed it out nicely with a well-argued case.
It was your phrase Calvin, and I wanted to credit you for it in the piece. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get it to flow nicely into the first paragraph. So take your bow now sir!