Court of Public Opinion
The RMT union has called for six days of strike action on the London underground - over May and June.
Nothing particularly odd in that, you might think - but it could prove to be a defining moment for trade unions more generally.
Because it will focus attention on the growing demands for the current rules on strike ballots - to be tightened.
A 2 to 1 majority of RMT members voted to support the strike - but the turnout was only 46% - which means that only 29% of union members have voted positively in favour of a strike.
At the moment the RMT is acting within the law - which requires only a simple majority of union members to vote in favour of industrial action.
But the London Mayor - Boris Johnson - is amongst those calling for the law to be changed to require an overall majority of union members to vote Yes - before a strike would be declared lawful.
Six days of strikes will cause enormous disruption to London's transport network - and the union is calculating that this will force the employer into a settlement.
The dispute itself is about two union members who have been sacked - but who remain on full pay until their appeals are heard by an Employment Tribunal.
The RMT is not prepared to wait the outcome of the tribunal hearing and is using some old-fashioned union muscle to force a result - which has worked in the past, so why not again?
Hard pressed commuters might allow themselves a wry smile when they learn what the train drivers are actually paid - £45,000 a year apparently.
Now that's more than a highly trained nurse - with a degree - working in an intensive care unit would get paid.
So it will be interesting to see how the dispute will play out - over the next few weeks - in the court of public opinion.
Nothing particularly odd in that, you might think - but it could prove to be a defining moment for trade unions more generally.
Because it will focus attention on the growing demands for the current rules on strike ballots - to be tightened.
A 2 to 1 majority of RMT members voted to support the strike - but the turnout was only 46% - which means that only 29% of union members have voted positively in favour of a strike.
At the moment the RMT is acting within the law - which requires only a simple majority of union members to vote in favour of industrial action.
But the London Mayor - Boris Johnson - is amongst those calling for the law to be changed to require an overall majority of union members to vote Yes - before a strike would be declared lawful.
Six days of strikes will cause enormous disruption to London's transport network - and the union is calculating that this will force the employer into a settlement.
The dispute itself is about two union members who have been sacked - but who remain on full pay until their appeals are heard by an Employment Tribunal.
The RMT is not prepared to wait the outcome of the tribunal hearing and is using some old-fashioned union muscle to force a result - which has worked in the past, so why not again?
Hard pressed commuters might allow themselves a wry smile when they learn what the train drivers are actually paid - £45,000 a year apparently.
Now that's more than a highly trained nurse - with a degree - working in an intensive care unit would get paid.
So it will be interesting to see how the dispute will play out - over the next few weeks - in the court of public opinion.
