Apocalypse Not
James Undy - writing in the Independent newspaper the other day - had an interesting and amusing piece about the pensions dispute.
Here's what he had to say, but it seems that behind the scenes in London - where these things are played out.
The brothers and sisters - are beginning to fight with each other over the PCS tactics of a headlong charge towards the 'barbed wire' - which is par for the course, of course.
Apocalypse Not
"With the lunchtime scores in it’s pretty clear that the Biggest Strike In A Generation, er, isn’t.
While there’s been some impact in schools, turnout in the civil service has been poor. PCS claim another “best supported strike ever”, but the Cabinet Office figures – based on actual absences reported by line managers – tell a different story.
And since the purpose of the strike is precisely to show the employer how strongly members feel, those figures aren’t just a counter-bid in a propaganda war: they are the impact the strike has had.
It’s hardly a surprise. Behind both the Times’ and FT’s paywalls today, anonymous senior union figures deride PCS for its annual strike outing and its inability to deliver. One points out “the more the stakes are ratcheted up the more the state … feels it has to be seen to win”.
But while they talk tactical sense off the record, in public the likes of the TUC’s Brendan Barber’s and UNISON’s Dave Prentis cling to the old-time religion of verbal solidarity.
Well if today’s fight was their fight they’d be in it. It’s time this romantic refusal publicly to break ranks with people with a wholly different agenda gave way to a willingness to tell it like it is.
After all, Ed Miliband’s worked out which way this particular wind is blowing."
What's really need is a few people who are prepared to stand up and call a spade a spade - because all this careful positioning and manoeuvering - is precisely what has held the trade unions (and Labour party) back for years.
Here's what he had to say, but it seems that behind the scenes in London - where these things are played out.
The brothers and sisters - are beginning to fight with each other over the PCS tactics of a headlong charge towards the 'barbed wire' - which is par for the course, of course.
Apocalypse Not
"With the lunchtime scores in it’s pretty clear that the Biggest Strike In A Generation, er, isn’t.
While there’s been some impact in schools, turnout in the civil service has been poor. PCS claim another “best supported strike ever”, but the Cabinet Office figures – based on actual absences reported by line managers – tell a different story.
And since the purpose of the strike is precisely to show the employer how strongly members feel, those figures aren’t just a counter-bid in a propaganda war: they are the impact the strike has had.
It’s hardly a surprise. Behind both the Times’ and FT’s paywalls today, anonymous senior union figures deride PCS for its annual strike outing and its inability to deliver. One points out “the more the stakes are ratcheted up the more the state … feels it has to be seen to win”.
But while they talk tactical sense off the record, in public the likes of the TUC’s Brendan Barber’s and UNISON’s Dave Prentis cling to the old-time religion of verbal solidarity.
Well if today’s fight was their fight they’d be in it. It’s time this romantic refusal publicly to break ranks with people with a wholly different agenda gave way to a willingness to tell it like it is.
After all, Ed Miliband’s worked out which way this particular wind is blowing."
What's really need is a few people who are prepared to stand up and call a spade a spade - because all this careful positioning and manoeuvering - is precisely what has held the trade unions (and Labour party) back for years.
