Upsetting all the right people...

The strike season started for Lambeth UNISON last Friday with action by our members employed by OFSTED, striking against an appalling pay offer.

I was pleased to spend some time on the picket line and only slightly miffed to hear that the employer thought I had been abusive to strikebreakers!

I wasn’t of course. I am rarely even discourteous and never abusive. I did tell those crossing the picket line that what they were doing was wrong and that they should be ashamed of themselves. Perhaps that upset them, but it was and they should have been.

I don't enjoy upsetting people, but sometimes you just have to tell the truth.

Now we need to turn our attention to persuading our members in local government to back UNISON by voting for strike action over local government pay.

The strike ballot in local government, and the consultative ballot in health, together with all the issues which will be coming up at our Conference next month (including branch funding and Union democracy) are among the reasons I have convened a meeting for UNISON activists in the Greater London Region at the University of London Union at 5pm on Thursday 22 May.

With many of us present anyway for the briefing for Branch Treasurers and Secretaries on the funding of the equal pay challenge it seemed like a good opportunity to organise an entirely unofficial meeting for lay activists to take the opportunity of meeting to discuss issues of mutual concern.

I hope that by calling such a meeting I won't have upset anyone...