Sunday 19 December 2010

In support of the unions

As you all may or may not know i'm a big supporter of the union movement in this country and today reading this piece in the Guardian :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/19/unions-students-strike-fight-cuts?CMP=twt_gu

I like the language and words new Unite general secretary Len McCluskey used in his article with the paper.

The words are tough and sounds like he and his union which is the biggest in the UK are up for the battle of their lives. Len warns of a wave of strike action across the country in reply to the governments attack on working class people and the public sector. I am not a unite member but would like to be but this guy already has my support. We do need a good response and a carefully constructed response. Of course strikes would be a last resort as always but i cant see them taking long to get going next year. With hundreds if not thousands of ordinary people who didnt cause the financial crisis will be loosing their jobs no way should they sit by and just let this terribly right wing governemnt go about shrinking teh state and finnishing off Maggie Tatcher's work from the 80's.

Len heaped praise and support on the students who have started this fightback with the student protests we have seen over recent weeks in protest of the treblling of tuitian fees. I think it is time now the unions threw their weight behind the student movement and the anti cuts movement as a whole.

I feel 2011 could be a big year for unions and the reemergance of mass general strikes if this government are not careful. People will not just take these cuts lieing down. The unions have been critisised in the past for reacting slowly to these proposed cuts but i have been assured by many union people once they do stand up on their feet the unions can move very quickly and effectively.

As a worker having a huge union with the financial clout on its side would fill me with pride and confidence. If i worked ina sector where unions happened i'd defanatly join one. I think the work they do is brillianta nd standing up for workers rights of pay and conditions is amazing.

I think the movement does need the unions to join it now and add weight to the campaigns as the students lets be honest cannot overthrow this governemnt alone they need support and financial backing.

So to hear Len come out with this message should not be ignored and i hope people become confident in the movement and waht we can achieve.

The only stumbling block could be the involvement with labour with these big unions gaining labours support in these times could be key. I think if labour could back some of these moves from the unions that back them would be very appreciated with solidarity and unity.

Of course labours support is not nessesary it would just be very useful politically to provide a good PR outlook on the unions movement. I think it is one of labours jobs now to reintroduce unions and their role in society to the public at large. For so long now unions have been out of the public eye with no massive attack on workers like what we are seeing now anyway on the agenda. Now the unionsa nd their members do need labours support i feel it is time for the labour party, Ed milibanda nd all his parties members to get behind the union movement and support them in any way we can just like the unions do for labour with financial backing.

For labour to continue as a mass workers and working class party this has to happen. Whetehr it will or not considering Ed milibands stance on matters of things so far might be interesting. Then again he did recieve a big backing from the unions so he may feel he should.

Either way 2011 will be a big year for unions i feel and hope.

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