UNION city blues.

No matter what union and which workers are on strike we keep hearing the same line

“It’s a disgrace that our members have to rely on foodbanks”.

Just to be clear, I’m an employee not a boss. That is the side my loyalty lies. I am born and raised in North Yorkshire and I was an angry young man at the time of the miner’s strikes. Anyone who knows me will tell you I was/still am the most anti-Thatcher person going!

However, this year’s numerous strikes are old school militant thinking Union bosses driving hard at inconveniencing the rest of us. They are trying to chance their luck because of the high inflation rate to get unrealistic pay rises for their members. I get why, they want to be seen as earning their fees but unions, and those they represent are missing the bigger picture.

Public records available show that train drivers average salary is around £40k, civil servants earn anywhere from £25k to £100k+. The teachers earn from £30k to £55k+. Junior doctors get from £30k-£80k, nurses £30k to £40k+.

Workers in retail, hospitality and care sectors all earn around £20k.

We never hear news headlines reporting these humble employees using foodbanks, despite having significantly less income than others have. My sympathy is with employees on minimum wage, which there are millions who struggle to make ends meet, raising families and paying the bills. Thinking of retail workers who were front line and ‘essential’ during the lockdowns. Thinking of the baristas who serve your coffee every day with a smile. Thinking of the ones in care homes who wash, clean, administer drugs and cook meals for those in need.

The only difference between the higher paid vocations and the others is they have union representation. I think the unions want to hold everyone to ransom and bully pay awards for their members by inconveniencing the masses.

Public sympathy for teachers is already waning. They get 12 weeks holiday a year and whenever they strike, it stops the parents from being able to go to work. It stops them earning or inconveniences their friends and family who are forced to look after the kids. Sympathy for nurses is still high for the job they do. Doctors is a little different. When the public see their loved ones suffering and even dying due to cancelled or delayed treatments and operations, the attitude switches very quickly. They soon drop into the same class of annoying as the ‘Stop Oil’ activists. Disrupting ordinary people’s daily lives to moan they are already earning more than most does not gain support.

I genuinely think the unions are relishing the disruption and inconvenience these strikes are causing the masses. As always, strikes only affect the ordinary people. The action has no effect on the ones at the top.

Millions of the lowest paid workers are battling crazy cost of living rises and added hassles of union action is not going to help people sympathise with them.