Welcome 2023: Trade union resurgence

Dear Colleagues,

Happy new year to you all!

It is clear that 2023 will herald the most significant era of trade union strike action this century and in modern times. Arguably what makes this wave of action quite different is that includes groups of workers - notably members of the Royal College of Nursing - who have since formation retained a no strike policy within their rulebook.

An interesting short article in The Lancet on the ethics of industrial in the NHS helpfully underlines that the root of this action (and arguably that for most of the public sector strike action) rests in the defence of well-funded, properly managed service, with pay being one, intrinsic factor. The authors write:

The ethical justification for strike action can be more clearly conveyed when such action is articulated beyond individual pay demands. The political root cause of pay stagnation can be traced to an underfunded public health system. 

One of many effects is lower pay, which precipitates staff departures, which further compromises the health system. 

The argument becomes the pursuit of greater long-term collective benefit at the expense of short-term disruption. This is further bolstered by arguments that health professionals have an obligation to highlight, protest against, and actively resist actions that are harmful to our collective health, such as we have seen with civil disobedience in relation to the climate emergency

The full article can be found here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)02308-X/fulltext#%20

Whilst the government prepares to respond to strike action through the introduction of further restrictive legislation on industrial action it is clear that this will not deter trade union members from engaging in strikes.

What the Conservatives have never understood is that deeply felt, justified anger at mistreatment at work cannot be restricted nor ignored. At the time of writing this piece of the government appear to be reaching out to all General Secretaries of unions engaged in strike action to discuss possible options to avert strike action. This is unlikely as the government refuses to discuss pay.

Thus, we are likely to see continued rounds of co-ordinated strike action continue across 2023, and I'll comment further here on this.

In Solidarity

Ian