TUC National Demonstration Against Cuts

[OrangeBernard]

Who's going? I've just booked my train tickets. Its my first protest, any advice or tips? Bit worried about kettling.

Getting back to post demo biz: who has the kahunas to call a 24 hour general strike? Various unions are balotting for srtike action in the next few months but a general strike's the only worthy riposte to this gov's onslaught.

Does the TUC actually have a strategy at the moment?

They and the other big unions have gone very quiet now their day of 'well behaved marching' is done with.

Xenia, I'll see you your 'we need to make it less fun for people not to work' and raise you this:-

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/03/emma-harrison-action-for-employment

I think we need to make it less fun to be able to make a packet from running a crap service with no accountability just because you're mates with the PM.

Exactly Rosebud. TUC needs to exploit momentum caused by the March. They're too conciliatory and not aggressive enough in defending their members.

I agree that a24hour strike is the way to go .Once the cuts begin to really bite I am sure there will be support especiallyfrom the PCS ,RMT ect.even the health service unions once the NHS cuts become clear.

My money is on the big strikes being over pensions rather than job losses. Unions will only strike if they believe their members will vote for it. TUC will only call for coordinated strike action if the unions ask them to (TUC is essentially run by the unions). The only union I've heard talking seriously about coordinated strike action at the moment is PCS.

They will strike over pensions, but that's because they need a legal 'excuse' to strike. Regardless of what union members want, they can't go on a general strike because they political object to the government - well, they can, but it would technically be illegal.

So they have a legal remit to strike over pensions, and they can do this simultaneously.

Who said general strike?!

It's looking like it won't be far off:

"The union's [NUT] conference also called for a 24-hour "general strike" in the autumn over pensions, to be organised with other public sector unions".

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13177658

I am so glad that Michael Gove is doing so well in destroying the NUT. We expect the vested interests to squeal - thankfully, they will soon be neutered, with Free Schools and Academies mushrooming all over England.

But, LFN, quite evidently he is not

In fact, he is probably, by default, making more people join! Tee-hee.

Unions in their last throes always make militant last stands. It is entirely expected.

By calling for a general strike, the NUT will have lost all legitimacy amongst anyone who doesn't work for the public sector or read the Guardian as the Bible.

And I don't imagine there is much sympathy amongst the public at large for these pampered union militants who have defined contribution pensions for public sector average-salary schemes - which will be gold-plated even after (Labour) Lord Hutton's reforms.

Hardley in their last throes LFN. Militant for good reason too. £5000 is the average public service workers pension. When will people stop trotting out the old boring ''gold plated'' line? When it is changed to average, it will be even less and less than that again for women who have worked part time, or taken breaks to look after their children etc [oops, sorry, I forgot it is suddenly ok/acceptable, to attack and penalise women under our new government isn't it].

I don't think unions have lost ligitimacy, only amongst those daily mail readers and strict tories, who didn't give them any credence beforehand anyway. I know plenty of people who are not public service workers, some of whom send their children to private schools too, who were in full support of the TUC march and are also in favour of any future strike action. i think you will be surprised that such a vast proportion of the UK values its nurses, teachers, fire brigades etc.

I can guarantee that however much support any one profession has, there is no public support whatsoever for a general strike (except amongst Labour voters, who are irrelevant to the discussion anyway).

so, no rebuttal on the 'average 5k' figure?

how are labour voters irrelevant?

yes there is public support for a general strike. people are hacked off with this government and what they are doing and not doing.

Labour voters are irrelevant because it is the floating voters who will decide the next election, as ever - whether FPTP or AV.

Red Ed simply can't speak to people who aren't already rabid lefties (such as the average Mumsnet denizen). Unfortunately, those are the very people who he needs to win over. They will not be impressed by unions holding Britain to ransom.

The coalition is holding Britain to ransom.