Council strike

Are council workers right to strike?

Is the strike by council workers that has closed thousands of schools and halted refuse collections really in their best interests?

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The strike by council workers on 16 and 17 July has closed thousands of schools, libraries and sports centres and halted refuse collections, street cleaning and other services, with further disruption planned in a bitter row over pay.
Unison said more than 500,000 local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland walked out at the start of a 48-hour stoppage in protest at a 2.45% pay offer.

Are they being greedy or is this strike justified?

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Added: 27 August 2008 19:18

jwt says:

I was a councillor for 16 years and worked in the private sector.
and I can say while private sector pay was better.
working conditions and terms of employment and pensions terms are 100%better than the private sector.
where can anyone in the private sector retire as early as 50.
with a generous pension.

Added: 25 July 2008 16:57

Tollat says:

I once worked in local government and was continually told "You must not only be right, you must be seen to be right." This boiled down to having to do twice as much work as necessary to achieve any goal!

Pay rises did not come anywhere near reasonable for the extra work piled on through this 'philosophy'.

Money in local government was usually saved by reducing staff costs i.e. getting rid of them and paying them less. It's high time that local government workers were paid a fair rate for the work they do and the abuse they regularly suffer for doing it.

Added: 25 July 2008 16:23

Squid says:

I am self employed and work in the private sector. Due to market conditions my own wages have not incresed for several years.

Not surprisingly I get a bit annoyed when the people who are getting paid out of my tax (and most seem to earn more than I do)start asking for index linked awards and then strike when they don't get them.

Like me if you don't like the job go find another.

Added: 22 July 2008 09:01

Dodger says:

John says that there are better ways of getting a rise than striking, perhaps he can share the secret. The unions were started in the first place as a reaction to the treatment that was given to the workers by the bosses who lived up the hill in luxury whilst the workers lived down the bottom in poverty. Top of the hill is the roots of the Tory party, greed and selfishness, bottom of the hill is the roots of the Labour party which with all probability would not exist today had it not been for the greed of the so called upper classes of this country. AS YOU SOW YOU SHALL REAP!!!

Added: 20 July 2008 18:19

Reggie Bend says:

A 2 day strike will cost the strikers nearly 1% of their yearly pay so they must think it is worthwhile doing it. It is not up to us to tell them whether they should.

The right to strike is the most basic of workers rights and it was hard fought for. The right must remain otherwise NORMAL people have no other action open to them.

John please note strikers are also normal and there is no better way if employers will not negotiate.

Added: 19 July 2008 14:36

Paul says:

When THATCHER was in power I didn't have a wage rise in 8 years because the government was trying to sort out the mess that the PREVIOUS LABOUR government had left behind. That is what you have to put up with when the country is in recession. The trouble is this latest excuse for a government has taxed us to the hilt and squandered all the money in the kitty that should have been saved for this rainy day. But hey! What do civil servants care about that? Aren't they all on the government gravy train?

Added: 19 July 2008 08:20

pete wells says:

I am 71 now and worked at the Ford motor plant in Dagenham during the mid 50s to late 60s so I do know a thing or two about strikes back then we were the lowest paid car workers in the country though I had about �50 pound per week in my pocket with a further �20 pound per week going in to the ESSEX TRUSTEE SAVINGS BANK that was a lot more than most had , but they never worked for Fords we got �5.00 per year bonus payment when we had our two weeks holiday and you worked hard at Fords i mean none of these rules and regulations were in place then .
So if these fat cat bosses do not give you a rise you just have to withdraw your labour going on strike is the working mans right it has been for many years THATCHER put a stop to it but she was bad news and is now history living a fine old life with the blood of the falklands war on her hands and pushing up the cost of living by selling most all of our state run industries water, gas, electricity, trains, running down the NHS in a bid to sell it of and you ask should a working man go on strike ask ben tilliet I can still remember the dockers tanner what a silly question try living on a pension you tory scum bags.

Added: 18 July 2008 07:21

Refugee from New Labour says:

Anything that may help to get rid of this appalling government must be the right thing to do. The fact that the pay offer is below inflation adds credibility. ("It's time for change" Tony Blair)

Added: 17 July 2008 11:20

John says:

There are better ways of getting a rise than striking, especially when it affects normal peoples lives.

Added: 16 July 2008 16:34

Mary - Notts says:

Of course they are right to strike. The pay offer is a joke and I don't blame them at all.