The 1% offer...

Apparently the offer right now is for a 1% pay rise and if we don't accept it then even that will be withdrawn. This threat by the employer side reminds me of a conversation I had with my grandfather who died 3 years ago at the age of 94. He lived all his life in Greece and despite the fact that he was very knowledgeable he didn't travel abroad too much as he thought the weather in Greece was, on balance, better. Anyway he once asked me what it is that a big Trades Union in Britain does when there is trouble. I answered by saying we go on strike after we ballot members and then try and get some sections go out for longer periods by paying them and we also leaflet outside major buildings or march (rarely) down the centre of the town. He smiled and said that what I was describing was nothing he was used to and of course he was right. People will rarely win battles or struggles by simply complying to procedures put in place to protect the establishment. And of course as a reformist I am not advocating revolution but I am amazed how we have allowed ourselves to be put in this position where defeatist talk is being spread around. The message we should be putting out is that we must fight because the financial crisis that we are now expected to pay for was not created by us. The press and the government have very conveniently forgotten about the mess the bankers have created and have shifted their attention on to destroying the public sector to pay for the mess. What irritates me is that we have allowed this shift of focus and emphasis to take place without challenging it! So I am hoping people will be sensible and vote to reject this pathetic offer! Time to fight back and not give in!