In an argument over tax rises at the last Budget on Politics Live today transport secretary Heidi Alexander defended payouts to strikers:
“I’m not going to apologise for resolving the industrial action on the railways or in our hospitals, because that’s a huge problem for people across the country and our public sector workers got a decent pay rise for the first time in years.“
She also admitted to Gareth Davies: “As someone who has run a public service before there will be occasions on which strikes will be necessary because the trade unions…”
Her justification for paying £9 billion in payouts was: “rolling national strikes on the railways cost the taxpayer over two years £850 million in lost revenue.” As opposed to the £9 billion Reeves signed away in one swish of the Treasury pen. And the UK gets more strikes for the pleasure…
Motions are in for the Trades Union Congress’ annual meeting next month in Brighton. Delegates’ votes on them will decide the political and lobbying direction the TUC will take. Unions bosses have renewed energy now Labour is in and are gunning for more pay rises from a permissive government. More strikes are already on the way…
Apart from pushing for bumper pay deals, union chiefs have crafted a list of some truly insane and/or idiotic motions. Guido gives you some of the worst below:
Union bosses are no doubt itching to unveil some of their even kookier ideas once they secure more concessions from Labour over the coming months. “Get round the table” because “the adults are back in the room”…
Border Force officials at Heathrow Airport have just announced fresh strikes. PCS, representing them, have expansive demands for civil servants including a reduced working week. The domino effect has begun – below are some of the public sector unions co-conspirators can expect will be demanding more taxpayer cash something to the tune of ASLEF or Junior Doctors’ bumper offers:
The RMT’s Mick Lynch told the Times, external he expected a “parallel, synchronised offer” to ASLEF’s. It’s the Tory record causing tax rises, is it Rachel?
Paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds was asked by Nick Ferrari this morning why the government is capitulating to unions while removing the winter fuel allowance for some pensioners. Thomas-Symond’s response was the classic “it’ll cost more not to settle“:
“There is an enormous cost to not settling these disputes that would apply in terms of the junior doctors because you’d obviously have had huge disruption to patients, and it applies in terms of ASLEF and the train drivers.”
Unhelpfully for Labour the exact unions it has appeased have already indicated they will be coming back for more. Junior doctors got a bumper backdated pay rise – the BMA is already plotting more strikes for next year. ASLEF rail drivers have had their pay boosted to an average of about £70,000 with no extra conditions on their lax working rules – Mick Whelan says that will keep him quiet for a maximum of six months before going for a new offer. And so it begins…
Thomas-Symonds all but confirmed GPs will be getting their demanded 11% pay offer:
“Well the answer to that, it’s an answer I used to give you in opposition, which was about getting around to the table and actually settling with people.”
Now we know why Reeves is so insistent tax rises will have to come in the budget. Someone has to pay for it…
Unions are gleeful as the Labour government caves in, formally scrapping laws that required a minimum level of service during strikes. Though as Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Kevin Hollinrake put it: “By surrendering to their union paymasters, Labour are showing us who is really in charge.” Give them an inch…
Now the NHS estimates that the GP strikes could result in an extra 1.2 million visits to A&E, costing up to a staggering £569 million – which ultimately falls on the taxpayer. It’s no surprise GPs decided to walk when Wes Streeting immediately gave into junior doctors’ demands, handing them a bumper 22% pay rise last week. Meanwhile, civil servants across departments are staging walkouts next week as well. Four weeks into Labour, and the Unions already have them over a barrel…
Junior doctors in England are to stage a five-day strike from 27th June – a week before election day. The British Medical Association are asking for a 35% pay rise. Unhelpful timing for Keir Starmer, particularly when he’s spending today focusing on the NHS backlog. Will he publicly ban Labour candidates from standing on the picket line?
Lucy Powell on LBC, asked by Tom Swarbrick for her reaction to Labour MP Samantha Niblett’s call for a ‘summer of sex’ debate in Parliament: “I personally don’t own any sex toys, but each to their own… I’m not really sure that’s the right place for it, no.”