Monday 23 January 2012

Public Sector Unions

public sector workers strikeAs I have often stated in the past that I was brought up in a Socialist household. My parents were from Clydeside where voting Conservative is regarded akin to domestic abuse! My father was an area union secretary for the railway TSSA. As a youngster I earned pocket money by writing names on the annual union cards that he issued to members.

It is with this caveat that I declare the modern public sector unions as being a major threat to the social structure of this country. The public sector after 13 years of mismanagement by Labour clearly requires reform. We need reform in the NHS, in Education, in Welfare and well almost every aspect of public sector practice but every time someone advances a common sense proposal up pops a union baron to invariably oppose the change.

It is not being uncharitable to mention that every top union official collects a six figure salary. Even further down the line some of the union officials work full time for the union even though their salaries are paid out of the public purse. Guido Fawkes calls them ''Pilgrims' after a prominent member of a nursing union, Jane Pilgrim. Have a look at today's exposure! It is an obscene waste of public money.

Without exception and without reason they all support the Labour party. Without exception they oppose anything proposed by the Coalition. They were even responsible for the election of Ed Miliband to lead the Labour party and without their funding Labour would not exist. This is a very unhealthy threat to our democracy. We cannot reconstruct the injustices in our political system and public sector when one of our major parties is so blinkered and out of touch.


Someone must confront their waste and greed in the same way that Margaret Thatcher confronted Arthur Scargill and the miners. As a country we will never move forward until we have unions that reject personal greed and ambition and promote the workforce.

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