A striking example

‎I was pleased to spend an hour or so on the picket line outside North London Business Park this morning, supporting a mass picket of UNISON members on strike against the wholesale privatisation of Council services being rammed through by a Right-wing Tory Council with a wafer-thin one seat majority.

Members of Barnet's campaigning UNISON branch are striking today and tomorrow - and plan further action - to defend public services, having learned from the experience of Your Choice Barnet that privatisation worsens services to the community and conditions for employees.

Today's action in Barnet is an example of the approach we will need from our trade unions after the General Election (whether we are seeking to push a Government of the centre-left or to defend ourselves from a Government of the right). 

The past five years have shown that an approach founded upon caution bordering upon timidity has failed to protect workers from the ideological offensive from the Coalition Government. UNISON - and all our unions - will need to chart a different course if we want to achieve different - and better - results.

Barnet's strike action points the way.

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the EE network.