Sunday, December 11, 2022
Digging an ever deeper hole
The UK Government may think it is clever goading public sector workers into striking for better pay and conditions, but at present public sympathy is on the side of the strikers, and it is government ministers who are going to end up with egg all over their faces.
Above all the public respects fair play, and if there is a dispute that our government will do all it can to resolve it. Yet, as the Independent reports, Ministers are somehow convinced that refusing to meet with trade unions in order to avoid disruption over the Christmas period, will win them votes and put workers on the back foot. They couldn't be more wrong.
The paper says that the health secretary is embroiled in a sexism storm after he was accused of being unwilling to negotiate with the leader of striking nurses because she is a woman who mainly represents women.
Above all the public respects fair play, and if there is a dispute that our government will do all it can to resolve it. Yet, as the Independent reports, Ministers are somehow convinced that refusing to meet with trade unions in order to avoid disruption over the Christmas period, will win them votes and put workers on the back foot. They couldn't be more wrong.
The paper says that the health secretary is embroiled in a sexism storm after he was accused of being unwilling to negotiate with the leader of striking nurses because she is a woman who mainly represents women.
Steve Barclay was also accused of being a “bullyboy” by Pat Cullen from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), whose members are due to take part in unprecedented industrial action on 15 and 20 December. The RCN said Mr Barclay was failing to properly engage with nurses, even as he said his “door remains open”.
At the same time, it is reported elsewhere that the Transport Secretary has declined an invitation to meet with the RMT to avert strikes on the rail network and in airports over the festive season.
Nobody is calling for a return to the tea and sandwiches days in Downing Street from the Harold Wilson era, but surely we should expect our highly paid politicians to be doing everything they can to keep public sector workers in work and to protect the public from damaging strikes. Instead they are just digging themselves into a deeper hole.
At the same time, it is reported elsewhere that the Transport Secretary has declined an invitation to meet with the RMT to avert strikes on the rail network and in airports over the festive season.
Nobody is calling for a return to the tea and sandwiches days in Downing Street from the Harold Wilson era, but surely we should expect our highly paid politicians to be doing everything they can to keep public sector workers in work and to protect the public from damaging strikes. Instead they are just digging themselves into a deeper hole.
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This morning I hear Cleverly saying the Unions should be talking to the 'Independant' organisation that arranges the wage increases.To me that indicates a'buck passing'exercise where the Govnt then blames another organisation for lack of negotiating.
Equally who are the people on this board and have they ANY links to political parties in the past? Also have they got COMPLETE freedom to act independantly and the govnt have to accept their decision.I say this cos the derisory wage increases that they have offered do not come anywhere near solving the disputes.
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Equally who are the people on this board and have they ANY links to political parties in the past? Also have they got COMPLETE freedom to act independantly and the govnt have to accept their decision.I say this cos the derisory wage increases that they have offered do not come anywhere near solving the disputes.
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