Yesterday, the Conservative government voted to impose minimum service levels in various sectors of this country. This has happened as a result of unprecedented strike action across the country and presents us with the very real possibility that heroes of the pandemic such as nurses could be sacked, just as a result of calling for better pay and conditions. They are doing this instead of solving the very real problems that this country faces.

From the MP for Beverley and Holderness

Graham Stuart has voted in line with the Government – no doubt considering collective responsibility and a desire to keep his ministerial position instead of doing what is right for his constituents and the country. This should be unsurprising as he has a record of supporting more restrictive regulation of trade union activity. In a response to a constituent on his website, he included the following statements:

“A balance must be struck between giving workers a fair and reasonable settlement and taking steps to continue to bring down inflation and protect household budgets. In this time of economic difficulties, inflation-matching pay awards that many of the unions are demanding will make the fight against inflation more challenging, risking interest rates, mortgage payments and bills rising for people as a result. This would erode the value of any pay increase for public sector workers and hurt households across the country.”

“Strikes can, and do, cause significant disruption.”

“It cannot be right that trade unions can, as we saw in the case of the recent rail strikes, seek to hold the country to ransom if their demands are not met.”

“The Government also has a duty to the public to ensure their safety, protect their access to vital public services, and help them go about their daily lives”

First of all, it’s worth looking at the statistics. Whilst there is no overall figure available for Beverley and Holderness, in 2021 26.1% of employees in Yorkshire & The Humber were members of a trade union. Although the percentage has declined over the years, it is still a substantial figure. If we assume the percentage in Beverley & Holderness is relatively close to that, then Graham Stuart is alienating a large section of the population in an area he is suppose to represent.

Secondly, in the early part of the statement Stuart claims to support the right to strike, but then goes on to make several negative comments about trade union action. His voting record suggests he is only happy with strikes if it doesn’t cause problems or disruption to anyone.

Here’s the thing. Strikes are a last resort. Industrial action is only taken after other methods have failed. Strikes are meant to disrupt. They are a way of workers and their supporters to stand up for better pay and conditions. More restrictions such as minimum service levels is a slow and soft approach of eventually banning trade union strikes.

Impact and division

From the government website:

Millions of hard-working people across the UK will be protected from disruptive strikes thanks to new laws introduced today, which will allow employers in critical public sectors to maintain minimum levels of service during strikes.

The government is introducing this legislation to ensure that striking workers don’t put the public’s lives at risk and prevent people getting to work, accessing healthcare, and safely going about their daily lives.

It may seem familiar because the language is strikingly similar to what you can find in Graham Stuart’s statement. Effectively, you have something incredibly ideological and divisive where you should just be seeing the facts.

Well, here are the facts.

According to the Office for National Statistics, weekly earnings went up cross most sectors. However, the above graphic shows that despite that, the inflation and the cost of living actually means we’ve been experiencing a real terms pay cut. he Conservatives will cite global factors such as Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine a causes of the crisis. However, ONS data shows the UK is the only major economy that remains smaller than pre-pandemic levels.

In addition, parliamentary reports say that while unemployment is going down, the benefit claimant count is going up. It’s clear that for many, earnings from work simply isn’t enough.

Combat instead of hope

There is widespread media coverage clearly stating that the government are unwilling to negotiate. At a time when the heroes and key workers deserve more, at a time when we’re all struggling with the cost of living, the Conservatives are unwilling to simply talk and resolve matters peacefully.

Instead, we see a demonisation of the unions and the workers that form their memberships. They threaten sackings and punitive measures, as well as sowing the seeds of division.

We all deserve better than this. We all deserve more.

It seems the unions are representing the people, but the Conservative government aren’t.