Cameron, BA strike and unions

The Tory party has traditionally had the attitude that trade unions are the enemy. They believed the unions were representatives for a working class that needed to be ruled not governed. It seems such an old fashioned attitude these days that it’s laughable.

The Tory party of today has tried very hard to move the agenda away from issues of class. They advertise and promote themselves as the new caring middle England party. They claim to be 100% in favour of the NHS. They want us to hug a hoodie. They play the environment card. David “call me Dave” Cameron tries desperately to show himself as an everyman rather than a privileged old Etonion.

Then suddenly we have the BA strike. Suddenly David Cameron is showing his true colours. The classic Tory response to a strike is to take a stance of non-negotiation and encourage strike breaking. This is exactly the position Cameron is taking in relation to BA. I have no doubt he will be the same with the railway workers.

Gordon Brown does has a conflict of interest, due to the financial support Labour gets from Unite, but he has taken the proper stance. The only way the BA strike will get resolved is through negotiation.

Over the next few years the government are going to have to save money. At some point there will be cuts to public services and minimal pay rises for public sector workers. There is also a high chance of protracted disputes in the private sector. This will undoubtedly lead to industrial unrest and possible strike action. We will need a government who will sit with the unions and the management in order to try and reach resolutions through compromise. Our economy is so precarious that large scale industrial unrest could be catastrophic. It would be a disaster for Britain to have a government who refuse to mediate and negotiate because of an outdated ideology.

Cameron may think Union bashing is a vote winner. He may love the thought of showing how tough he is by standing up to bullying “Union Neanderthals”. I think he will lead Britain into an economic whirlwind that will make the winter of discontent seem like a warm summer breeze.

Check out the link below that leads to a brilliant cartoon in the Guardian on this subject:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2010/mar/20/david-cameron-british-airways-strike