Richard Hawley

Anyone else on strike this week?

I wasn't due to work today but am on strike tomorrow. Doubt it'll change owt. My local employers (local authority) now employ so many people from agencies with temporary contracts, no sick pay, no leave etc. and of course, no union that the impact is less marked than it used to be even 5 years ago.

I walked past County Hall this morning - lots of placards standing against the building and behind drainpipes but no people!

i'm on strike for two days, i voted for it but i'm not comfortable with the fact that only about 14% of the union membership voted to come out and they've still forced it through.

it will be interesting to see how many actually didn't turn in. i'm the union rep and half of my members didn't even open the letter to vote never mind actually vote. apathetic and then they come up to me panicking that they're going to lose two days pay. nobs.

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don't strive for happiness, it'll make you miserable. just be content.

The thing is though that people have the chance to vote and don't so they get what they pay for. The fact of the matter is that union members can now opt to be members and receive all of the substantial benefits of membership but can go against the union ballot with impunity so that those who do go on strike and take the hit in their wages are doing it for the benefit of colleagues who don't make the link between short term sacrifice and long term improvement.

I don't like being on strike, not just because it hits me in the pocket but because I believe in what I do and I also believe in the other services that people are dependent on from local government.

Employers always trot out the line that it is the strikers who are causing the problem when it is usually the employers who want to go back to nineteenth century values, controlling peoples lives and paying them poorly who make it more difficult to accept pay and conditions at work. When our pay doesn't keep up with inflation then we have genuine problems and if employers and government won't talk meaningfully then what is the option? Local government always has money for expensive consultants and often don't use the work these people do and they are increasingly ignoring the real skills and commitment of their employees who invariably put themselves out for the individuals who use our services - often some of the neediest members of society.