Trade Union myopia

by planetparker

 

Trades Unions are a vital; part of any free and open society, protecting workers from exploitation, as well as ensuring working conditions. When trades unions pursue the interests of their own members, with complete disregard for others then we have reached dangerous territory.

Today we heard a prominent public service trade unionist rejecting any government plans to reduce the wages of “low paid” public servants. He seemed to be saying at the same time that the government could make whatever other cuts it wanted, so long as public sector workers were left untouched. So the unemployed, the disabled and the old were being told that they could suffer whatever further cruel indignities this cowardly government wished to inflict upon them so long as his members held onto their pay.

Such “low paid” public servants earn considerably more per week than the people I have just mentioned. And then there are all the perks, not the least of which is permanent access to a free telephone line. But the great asset they possess is that their jobs are secure.

But the government will cave in to such threats as it is entirely dependant on these public servants to implement its next round of cuts. Were such “public servants” interested in social justice, or even if they had a conscience, they would refuse to implement these policies, but instead they enforce them with obscene vigour, often devising new and illegal means to frustrate the very poor from receiving any benefits whatsoever. What is more these low paid public servants are fond of using this title so as to get some sympathy, but you can offer than no greater insult than to remind them that they are public servants and that they owe the public even the most basic duties of courtesy.The disabled and the old cannot protest.