In support of the strike

My Facebook stream (or whatever it’s called at the moment) and my feed reader are full of status updates and posts from people expressing their opinion on the strikes and on the people who are striking.

There are people complaining that the strikers should not sit at home today, but should be standing on a picket line and, if they’re not on the picket line, then they’re just taking advantage of a free day off. There are people complaining that no-one should be striking because the armed forces aren’t allowed to. There are people complaining that they don’t have a union and have a deadline to meet or a roof to keep over their head so why should other people be striking. There are people complaining because they are having to look after their children.

There are  people supporting the strike because, even though they don’t believe in what they are striking about, they believe in the right of workers to have a voice and to have a means to protest changes to terms and conditions. And, of course, there are people who are striking and who are explaining why.

It’s interesting the depth of feeling this strike is engendering in people. And that is all good. It is not going unnoticed (well, mostly – Rosemary and I did bump into someone in town today who was wondering why none of the children were at school) and, whichever side people are coming down on, the fact that it is being widely discussed and debated is very important – so often, we can turn a blind eye to politics because we find it ‘boring’, ‘irrelevant’ or maybe ‘incomprehensible’ (amongst others).

So, I shall throw my two pennorth into the fray and I will be very happy to debate and discuss my opinions on the matter in the comments – or elsewhere. I will try not to get too heated or personal, but I think, as with many, I may find it hard to ignore what might seem to me to be callousness or thoughtlessness. I am also open to being persuaded to change my opinion, if the evidence

The right to take industrial action

I support unions. I support the right of workers to join unions. I support the right of unions to take industrial action to stand up for workers’ rights, and that includes the right to strike. I will stand up for that right, whether or not I personally believe the workers and unions are right to be asking for whatever they are asking.

The necessity (or not) of picket lines

I don’t think picket lines are necessary any more. I do not support the right to prevent others from going to work if they want to. I do not support bullying people or causing physical harm to prevent them from going to work.

The other purpose (as I see it) of picket lines is to  make the strike more visible to the general public and those not directly involved. In this day and age, it’s pretty difficult to not be aware of this strike and to not be aware of the reasons behind it. As I said at the start, my Facebook stream (and presumably most other people’s too) is full of status updates and links and posts about the strike. If you have school-age children you certainly can’t escape it. And, if you use many public services, you will also be made aware of it. So, I don’t think picket lines are of use.

I don’t think it’s necessary for the non-strikers (or other strikers, for that matter) to specify the way in which the strikers use the day. Not being at work is the industrial action, it is that which causes the disruption and which voices the grievances they have. Whether a striker is sitting in front of the TV, playing with their own children, sitting on a picket line or writing to their MP, makes little difference.

The actual grievance

From what I can gather, public sector workers are going to have to work for three extra years, pay an extra 50% contribution into their pension and get less money out of their pension. Please do correct me if I’m wrong and point me at the correct figures. The main thing seems to be the major change in terms and conditions, but also the increase in compulsory pension contributions (for a lower return). I support the public sector workers in protesting this change and asking for something better and I have no problem with this.

The right of one person to protest when another can’t

First of all the idea that teachers and librarians and job centre workers shouldn’t strike because the armed forces can’t does not make sense to me. The armed forces cannot strike. They are not allowed to. But they are still public sector workers. They will still be losing out in this deal. And they will gain if better terms are agreed.

I am self-employed and cannot strike or undertake any industrial action. I pay my own pension. And I work the hours I have to work to meet a deadline or multiple deadlines. But the fact that I cannot take industrial action does not mean that I think no-one else should be able to. I also get to take time off in the day at a moment’s notice – to look after my children, to run errands in town, or just to laze about and have a day off. That’s the way it works for me. That’s not the way it works for others.

The right of teachers to strike

One of the complaints that I have the most trouble with is the people complaining that they have to take time of work, or re-organise their schedule, or whatever, to look after the children because the teachers aren’t. First of all, it is not the teachers’ job to look after your children. It’s yours. It is the teachers’ job to educate your children. One day off is not going to disrupt your children’s education hugely. I’m not going to go into how much teachers go above and beyond the call of duty (and their terms and conditions) to provide an education for their children. Which they do. (As do many, many other public sector workers, of course.) The point of industrial action is to cause disruption. Yes, your life is being disrupted. If it weren’t you wouldn’t be thinking and talking about the strike and the reasons behind it.

The idea that strikers are just getting a free day off

They’re not. They are losing a day’s pay. For many of them, a day’s pay is a huge deal. For some it’s not. For none of them is it a free day. What they choose to do with this day (as I said above) is their business.

So there you go. Those are some of my opinions about the strike. I support the strike. I’d be interested to hear your opinion, too. And please do feel free to jump in and tell me if you disagree with any (or all) of the above.

Edited to add: Here’s a really good explanation of what the strike was about over at Yellow Days.