The Tory strategy on unions - a steel fist in a velvet glove‏

TUC: As the general election gets ever closer and the Tories remain consistently 10+ ahead in the polls, it is no surprise that battle lines are being drawn with the trade unions.

The warm words of Tory Party Chair Eric Pickles that: "they are absolutely massively important. They might not have the enormous strength they had at one time, but in terms of the ability to further workers’ rights and to work with management to further good practice are considerable" are consistent with the Conservative leadership's strategy to engage trade unions in dialogue - a role reversal of Labour's prawn cocktail offensive with the City of London in the 1990's.

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-east-news/2009/09/13/conservatives-cosy-up-to-trade-union-congress-79310-24673833/

Yet the smooth blandishments of the Tory high command are in sharp contrast with the Conservative Party ultras and right wing pundits in the Tory press. An article by Tim Montgomerie on the conservativehome website sets out a plan to wage an offensive against public service unions with facility time and national pay bargaining high on the list. Naturally it starts with dialogue but.....

1 They should maintain dialogue - always appearing and being reasonable to mainstream union members and to the general public.

2 They need a clear mandate from the electorate so that the unions are seen as acting undemocratically if they attempt to thwart the Conservative manifesto. The manifesto must therefore be transparent about intentions.

3 The Conservative movement needs to mobilise taxpayer and public service users who are the victims of union practice. Examples of union privileges and the extent to which they are damaging the public interest need to be catalogued.

4 The public sector unions cannot be tackled on every front at the same time. Introducing pay flexibility for new schools and a general improvement in the public finances must be the priorities.

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/thetorydiary/2009/09/a-four-point-plan-for-defeating-the-resurgent-public-sector-union-movement.html