Monday, June 6, 2011

Vince Cable warns GMB union against co-ordinated strikes or he will seek legislation to restrict human rights on the ability to strike!




















Dear All

Vince Cable is a rare breed of politician.

He has gone from hero to zero while working as the Tories ‘boot boy’ as Business Secretary.

And occasionally he still reminds us that he has the ability to resign by pushing the nuclear button on the Con/dem Coalition.

We are still waiting for the button to be pushed.

Anyway, as a Minister/Lackey of the Tories, Cable is getting a rough ride.

Vince Cable was booed and heckled as he warned delegates at the GMB union's conference that co-ordinated strike action may lead to tougher union laws.

Oh how Tory of him.

Unions’ say there could be significant public sector strikes on 30 June because as well all know, the Tories are cutting too deep, too hard and too soon.

The reason for this is to keep shoring up the bankers who are still wrecking the economy.

In a threat to workers who are not getting any return on their savings, Cable said that if the level of strikes remained low there would not be a compelling case for tighter laws.

But he warned that the pressure on him to act would ratchet up if there was widespread disruption.

Mr Cable was rightly heckled, and met with boos and jeers at various points throughout his speech.

However he did manage to raise a single solitary cheer when he mentioned the prospect of a day of industrial action across significant parts of the public sector.

Hooray!

General Secretary of the 700,000-member GMB union, Paul Kenny, said Mr Cable's speech may have increased the chance of widespread disruption.

I have to agree, Cable’s threat should be met by action.

Kenny said:

"The GMB and other unions are still in negotiation. My honest view is that speech today... I think that has been very unhelpful," he told the BBC.

He added:

"I think people's reaction on the ground is going to be 'if you're going to threaten us, bring it on'."

We have Vince Cable asked for "cool heads" as the country faces its economic woes, so, when are then banks going to be tackled in a meaningful way?

Money is being poured in by the debt levels keep on rising forcing pay freezes and other measures that are stripping society of services.

And the money is finding its way to the rich who are speculating and in some cases benefitting from insider trading.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of the UK's largest union Unite, said Mr Cable ought to be ashamed.

He said:

"How can a professed liberal seek to crack down on human rights?"

Because he has sold his soul for a ministerial salary, car, flat and other perks.

Sooner or later the Lib Dems will realise that their problems are clustered around a handful of people, Clegg, Cable, Alexander, Laws and Moore.

When they get onboard with that, then we will see infighting.

At present the Lib Dem party is a shell.

People remember the ‘winter of discontent’, now that will encompass all seasons.

But the trouble is, Vince Cable isn't 'a man for all seasons'.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

2 comments:

Nikostratos said...

George

Times are hard so attack the UNIONS in the Tory way its was ever thus..

we grow old and weary but once again


¡A las Barricadas! ¡A las Barricadas!
por el triunfo de la Confederación.
¡A las Barricadas! ¡A las Barricadas!
por el triunfo de la Confederación.


PS

have you noticed how Salmond(much as i despise him) is always described as 'DEMANDING' this and that an old anti trade Union pejorative

G Laird said...

Dear Niko

I am sure that Alex Salmond is putting a forceful case for those things he wants to make Scotland better.

So, I don't begrudge him that.

You don't ask you don't get.

And some times you have to be 'pushy'.

Because being right some times isn't enough, you have to complain till you are blue in the face.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University