Angry union leaders warn (UK) Government of national strikes

[Newsjock]

Source: The Independent (UK)

Harriet Harman (acting leader of the Labour party) pledged full Labour backing for a countrywide campaign of protest against public spending cuts as the trade unions put ministers on notice of national strikes to defend jobs.

In a series of angry speeches at the TUC conference, union leaders accused the Coalition Government of jeopardising services and hitting the worst-off hardest in next month's spending review. They overwhelmingly backed calls for a co-ordinated campaign of resistance, including industrial action, to moves that the unions warn will cost hundreds of thousands of jobs.

... TUC delegates agreed to co-ordinate campaigns and industrial action, both locally and nationally, against the threatened cuts. A succession of union leaders said industrial action was inevitable as the spending squeeze by Chancellor George Osborne would lead to mass redundancies, pay freezes and cuts in pension entitlements.

Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, accused the "demolition government" of being intent on a "political project" to cut public services. He said the planned cuts would make Britain a "darker, brutish, more frightening place".

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/angry-union-leaders-warn-government--of-national-strikes-2078438.html

[DJ13]

1. All these unions in the EU should coordinate to strike on the same day

Instead of the UK this week, Greece last week, France the week before, a unified strike across multiple countries simultaneously would be more effective.

[gtar100]

2. Ah, the real world...where people matter.

Not utopia but at least there is some sanity in people (read: strong unions) in Europe.