#TUC11 In the first of many previews of next week’s 143rd Trades Union Congress, General Secretary Brendan Barber complains to the Independent about the sensationalist media’s ‘endless talk about summers, springs and indeed winters of discontent’: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/prepare-for-wildcat-strikes-union-boss-warns-downing-st-2349303.html
Brendan himself then goes on to acknowledge that industrial action across the public sector in defence of pensions is fast approaching: “we will have to reach a judgement once we are a little bit further down the line what the appropriate response is. We have seen some public sector action taken by some unions at the end of June and others are very, very actively considering whether they will have to take the industrial action course as well.”
The conflict which looms large between public sector unions and the Con Dem government will be fought on political as well as industrial grounds. A predominantly hostile media will inevitably misrepresent the facts underlying the dispute and the motivation of unions in standing up to the unjustifiable attacks on our pension rights.
Next week’s Congress provides a timely platform for the public sector unions to make our case on pensions to both union members and the wider public.
Follow 2011 Congress here:
http://www.congressvoices.org/
