(UK) Unions warn of growing militancy over government's economic 'gamble'

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

GMB leader Paul Kenny says his normally 'very moderate and quiet' members are very angry while RMT leader Bob Crow raises prospect of general strike

Hélène Mulholland, political reporter | Wednesday January 26 2011 13.43 GMT

Union leaders warned today of a growing mood of militancy over the government's "gamble" on the economy if the coalition refuses to change course.

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, described mounting industrial unrest among normally moderate rank-and-file members across the public and private sectors who are "very angry" at the government's economic plan. Bob Crow, leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' Union, ramped up the pressure as he warned that there was "no question" that unions would mount co-ordinated action to protect workers' living standards.

But Boris Johnson, the Conservative London mayor, signalled today that the government is planning to hit back by tightening laws against what he described as "vexatious strikes" by workers employed in essential public services.

Kenny issued a broadside against the coalition government as it made clear its intention to stick to its plan of multibillion spending cuts, http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/25/coalition-defends-policies-as-economy-shrinks">and rejected calls for a change of economic course in the face of shocking figures that showed the economy contracted by 0.5% in the last quarter of 2010.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jan/26/unions-growing-militancy-economic-gamble

[ananda]

1. The entire country should stage one of those "vexatious strikes."

Vex em till it hurts.

[denverbill]

2. Seems to be a world-wide phenomenon.

Britain, France, Greece, the US. Everywhere governments are breaking unions, cutting pensions, destroying safety nets, abandoning tariffs, etc.