Strike One...

The aforementioned Summer Of Discontent seems to be upon us after Unison Council Workers voted to go on strike to get a better wage.  

They have been offered a below inflation rise of 2.45%, but they are demanding 6%.

In recent weeks, Shell tanker drivers have been given a pay rise amounting to 14% after negotiation, following a four-day stoppage which bought parts of the country to a near standstill. We have seen the unfair bonanza of shareholders and city bosses getting ridiculous bonuses and dividends, yet the first sign of the workers rising up and demanding a better living wage and these same bosses are falling over themselves to criticise them.

The Chancellor has asked that everyone from 'the boardroom to the shopfloor' to take payrises consistent with the government's 2% inflation target.  Fat Chance!

Asking the low-paid and average earners in the public or private sector to make sacrifices when the people who have caused the economic difficulties in the first place and yet continue to draw record bonuses breaches any test of fairness.

I'm on just under £15k, the average wage is £22,000pa. Only 2% of the working population is on anything over £200,000pa. Yet it is this small group of people who are making the economic decisions which are causing hardship for the majority through their speculating and sheer risk-taking on stocks and shares and yet they are the people who are gaining at everyone else's expense - literally.

I back the strikers.  There is no excuse for the lowest-paid in this country to go without a decent payrise because of the selfishness of a few yuppie cunts who are the children of Thatcher.  And surely that is a good reason, never to vote for the dirty Tories.

We need to adopt the socialist model, where those who can pay tax can, and those who cannot, won't.  The argument for those on the minimum wage, not to pay tax should be taken to the people.  Anyone who went to the country on these principles, would have a good chance of getting into power, because the party of the workers, the vulnerable and the persecuted is not working with our interests at the forefront of their policies.

Rob :)