Morning Star : What about more cash in our pockets?
10 November 2008
You’d think that, after we’ve part-nationalised the banks and slashed interest rates, a simple old-fashioned Keynesian measure like that would be a no-brainer.
But right-wing monetarist orthodoxy still holds sway with the Labour government and it still says: “No, cap pay rises at 2 per cent.” The Scottish government follows suit.
Thirty thousand Scottish civil and public servants were due to be on strike today, along with hundreds of thousands more across the UK righting for a decent pay award.
A last-minute offer of talks means that the action has been suspended, but the mandate for striking is maintained. If there is no progress, more strikes will follow.
Meanwhile, ballots on further action are due to close this week in the long-running Scottish local government dispute and at Scottish Water, where the same hard-faced pay policy is being dictated by the Scottish government to an employer which admits that it could afford a better offer than 2.5 per cent.
Other works in the public sector, such as meat hygiene inspectors, and in the private sector, such as the lorry drivers at Carntyne Transport, are also balloting on action over similar paltry pay deals.
Unless you’re a banker, it looks like you have to fight hard for your money.
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