'Austerity isn't working ... we need to show our opposition'

Sunday 16 September 2012

The decision last week of the TUC to investigate the practicalities of organising a "General Strike" recognises a growing sense of anger among union members and the public more generally about the direction of Coalition policy and about who is being made to pay for the current crisis.

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The case for planning industrial action By Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary

Nevertheless, reaching a point where co-ordinated action takes place is neither straightforward nor is it a course of action that will be taken lightly.

Firstly, unions will wish to explore, in depth, the legal issues surrounding co-ordinated action. Among democratic countries, the UK has some of the most highly restrictive anti-trades union laws. Nevertheless there is a growing confidence that under the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to conduct co-ordinated industrial strike is protected.

Secondly, the success of public demonstrations on October 20 this year in Glasgow, London and Belfast will be seen as a vital barometer in assessing the extent to which members wish to play an active role in challenging George Osborne's disastrous austerity policies.Thirdly and most importantly, unions would require to organise and to win ballots for industrial action among members in workplaces across the UK. This would include active consideration on whether private-sector workplaces could and should be balloted along with public-service workers.Eyes will also be on the Chancellor's pre-Budget statement and, in Scotland, on John Swinney's budget. Public opinion has come down firmly on the side of our view that austerity is not working, and whilst the Chancellor does not appear to be for turning he may not be as immune as he would have us believe to the unpopularity of his current position, not to mention the cracks that are appearing in the Coalition. Despite having limited room for manoeuvre, the Scottish Government does have, if it wishes to use it, the capacity to take a different course with respect to pay, pensions and other key issues. Unions in Scotland will want to look closely at any proposals Swinney brings forward as they consider potential future action.The austerity strategy has detrimentally impacted on services, welfare benefits, pay and pensions, all the while failing to promote growth or deficit reduction.Thus, criticism of the TUC's decision has tended to focus not so much on the justice of the union case, but on whether effective co-ordinated action can be delivered and whether it is a "good tactic".Of course, such questions were similarly raised in the run-up to the co-ordinated strike action on pensions last November 30. It was widely assumed that the general public would turn against "greedy" public-sector workers, that the Government would gain popularity as a result and that the action would be patchy at best. None of this came to pass. Even unions were genuinely surprised by the sheer depth of support in workplaces for action.It is likely that the support for action also reflected the enormous public disaffection with the current political scene. Politics in general, and politicians in particular, have not recovered from the combined effects of the 2008 crash, the Westminster expenses scandal and ongoing reputational negatives such as phone hacking.The processes involved in agreeing, organising, or even just forming an opinion about a major industrial day of action can have a significant impact on the quality and depth of the political and economic debate. Governments will insist that industrial action does not affect policy. It is not unknown for them to insist on this point even while publicly announcing compromises they are prepared to make. Given that international evidence clearly points to a link between union strength and economic and social equality, arguing that industrial action is irrelevant is a hard position to sustain.And however much some in the Government might be spoiling for a fight, uniting millions of working people in action to oppose their flagship economic policy is a strategy no sensible politician should entertain.

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'Austerity isn't working ... we need to show our opposition'

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