Saturday, 25 June 2011

Con Dem ‘contingency planning’ a pretext for strikebreaking

Ahead of next week’s industrial action in defence of pensions by civil service and teaching unions, the Guardian reports on union concerns that Government ‘contingency planning’ amounts to systematic strikebreaking to minimise the impact of the strikes: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jun/24/coalition-encouraging-strikebreaking-tactics-claim

The Con Dem union busting plans go well beyond legitimate concerns about health and safety and risks to vulnerable people which arise in any strike situation.

Yet these developments should not surprise any trade unionist. Back in February the Independent reported that Con Dem Ministers were ‘drawing up plans to deal with a wave of co-ordinated public sector strikes across the country this summer.

A special unit of civil servants has been set up in the Cabinet Office to "war game" areas of vulnerability in key services and infrastructure. They are also investigating how they can draft in private-sector "strike breakers" to cross picket lines. Services identified as vulnerable to strikes include transport, energy, prisons and the health service.’ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coalition-ready-for-strikes-as-pm-outlines-public-sector-revolution-2221701.html