It's early days in the NJC pay dispute but already UNISON local government activists in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are discussing the prospects of membership support for a long overdue industrial mobilisation against the pay freeze.
Activists in Scotland have already agreed a ballot and meet on 15 March to decide on a recommendation. The big (and perennial) question in national pay disputes is what intensity and level of strike action will be be necessary to force the local government employers to think again and abandon their contemptous attitude to its workforce?
In a Morning Star article yesterday, Professor Gregor Gall revisited the 'complex question' of mounting effective strike action, given constraints imposed by anti union laws and the costs of strike pay necessary to sustain continuous action:
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/130038
Gall provides a few case studies of recent disputes in Britain. A similar but more in depth study by Steve Early of the strike experiences of US unions over the past 25 years can be read here:
http://www.solidarity-us.org/site/node/113
