N30 - A Damp Squib?

David Cameron stood up in the House of Commons & announced that our day of action was a damp squib. Well, I’ve news for you Dave. If you think it was a damp squib, then you were watching different media coverage than I was.

It is estimated that 2 million, yes, 2 MILLION of us were out protesting. Some say 1.3 million, 1.5 million etc., etc. From what I saw, it could have well been 2 million. If it was, it was the biggest National Strike since the General Strike of 1926, when an estimated 1.5 million took part. Either way, enough of us were out there making our protest felt, to shake the Government.

A BBC Poll recently announced that 61% of those polled, supported our action. This is an amazing result, that so-called greedy, selfish, public sector workers with gold-plated pensions, have the majority support of the Country. Methinks that Dave & Co. have been rumbled. That our message that we are being told to pay more for our pensions & work longer, for less has got across to the Country. Everyone in the Country has realised that we are just asking for justice.

If we had been given the option, we wouldn’t mind so much paying more & working longer for our pensions, PROVIDING we are also getting MORE in return. That would be fair & justice, but we are not being offered that. I also think the Country as a whole realises that it is the working man & woman in the street, that are being asked to pay for the economic mess, that it is they that are having living standards squeezed & reduced, despite us all not being responsible for the current economic mess, & that we are all being shafted by this present Government.

It was also with interest that I noticed that our glorious Chancellor, George Osborne, had neatly side-steeped our day of action by being in Brussels . Well, I’ve news for you as well, George. Your reception in Europe will be no warmer than it is here at present. You can run, but you can’t hide.

Our day of action was deemed by Dave & Co. to have been so unsuccessful, that it has already been announced that the Teaching Unions will hold talks with the Government, followed by the Health Unions. Damp squibs do not bring such an instant return to negotiations as we are seeing, & it is all credit to you all, that talks have been arranged so quickly after our day of action yesterday. To misquote Arthur Harris, “this Government has sown the wind, now they shall reap the whirlwind”.   

With regard to Southend, & our day of action, as David Essex says “Oh what a day”. Whether it be 29 or 30 Unions talking part yesterday, very few people were in work, & members who I have never seen before supporting us, joined us both on the picket line & for the rally (I won’t name names, but you know who you are, & many thanks to you all).

It was a really big rally, made all the more noticeable not only by the numbers of us taking part, but also by the sheer amount of banners, flags, whistles, drums etc., that accompanied us down Victoria Avenue & into the Square. I think that both the general public of Southend, & the powers that be, were made well aware of our presence, & it was a credit to both the organisers for their hard work, & all of us there, that we rallied & dispersed without any incidents or unpleasantness.

Whether you picketed, came on the Rally, or came out on strike, I & my colleagues extend yet another big thank-you for all your support. This Government is rattled. We have justice on our side. Keep the faith, support the Union , & I think that we can win this battle.