Strike set to hit local Councils

Members of the Unison Union are planning strike action on 16th/17th July this week in a national dispute over pay.

There is expected to be some disruption (including in refuse collection), but the exact levels of disruption will depend on the extent to which unions that aren't striking won't cross picket lines. Further information on the impact is available from the County Council and City Council and further updates will be made to these Council websites as they become available.

I have a lot of sympathy for workers affected by the current state of the economy - the Government view of inflation that determines pay rises appears to be a complete work of fiction to those affected by rising fuel, food and utilities bills. But this is a problem affecting everyone, and the Governments wasteful spending policies of the last few years have left no room for tax cuts, so there is no alternatives left to offset the effects of inflation, and household budgets are going to be stretched this year - thanks to Gordon Brown, we are all going to be poorer this year, and so strike action can't be the right way forward in this dispute.