Sunday, June 25, 2006

Downing Street U-turn on pensions

The Sunday Times is reporting that Downing Street has ordered a U-turn on Civil Service pensions, opening the potential for mass strikes across the service.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the Civil Service having their pension schemes brought in line with the rest of us poor sods in the private sector. In that respect I support the Government's new position.

The fact that they now face a strike crisis over the issue is however their own fault. They should never have agreed the deal they did and faced down the Unions a little harder in the first place.

Its a real shame we can't just let them strike then fire the lot of them a la Ronald Reagan and 11359 striking air traffic controllers. Surely the employee's right to strike should only exist if the employer has the right to fire?

Note: You should've seen the reaction when I said that in a seminar at Uni with a lecturer who was also an SWP members. It was hilarious, I got called a vicious member of the right wing bourgeoisie. Quite a badge of honour I thought for a student on a grant.

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