THURROCK TORIES had a motion condemning the strike action in Thurrock and across the nation passed.
Thurrock Council moved the November 30th council meeting to December 1st to avoid clashing with the public-sector strikes.
The Council has voted ‘not to endorse’ the strike action and ‘regret the inconvenience caused to Thurrock’s residents, including the movement of the Council meeting’.
Cllr Danny Nicklen introduced the motion and criticised the timing of the strikes.
Cllr Nicklen said: ”As I said during the meeting, “… to hold a day of strike action during those negotiations was unhelpful and reckless on the part of trade unions” and I am glad that the Council recognised this.
“It was telling that the Labour Group were unable to persuade all their councillors to vote against the motion and I believe this shows that there are at least some in the Labour party who recognise that these strikes were the wrong response at the wrong time, and that the decision to postpone the council meeting was the wrong call.
“These strikes were instigated by a minority of militant trade unionists who didn’t have the full support of their possible franchise. The level of disruption caused by the votes of a minority of trade unionists to millions of ordinary people was unacceptable”.
“The Conservative Group hope that an agreement can be reached on the issue of public sector pensions and that Thurrock’s residents and businesses are not further inconvenienced by further strike action.”
Cllr Nicklin no doubt you and the Conservative Group feel very satisfied with the outcome of your motion condemning the Members of Trade Unuions who took part in strike action on 30th November, 2011. Members of the Labour Group who abstained or voted in support of your motion should be ashamed of themselves. You argue that the strike was instigated by a minority of militant trade unionists who did not have the full support of their membership, implying that in the absence of a majority vote the strike was invalid and condemn them for the “unacceptable” level of disruption caused to millions of “ordinary” people. May I draw your attention to the fact that we are currently governed by a Conservative Party who, having failed to obtain a majority in the 2010 General Election, do a deal with the Liberal Democrats and the resulting misery and hardship caused to millions of people, such as the low paid, the old, the sick and disabled, the unemployed and affected families, by the punitive policies of that alliance is not only unacceptable but vindictive, in your rule book it would seem the requirement of a majority only applies to Trade Unions. Cllr Nicklin, you further argue that “to hold a day of strike action during negotiations was unhelpful and reckless on the part of the Trade Unions”. The talks you speak of had been ongoing for weeks and were going nowhere due, dare I say it. to the collusion between employers and the government to prolong the negotitations in the hope of imposing a settlement or giving the Trade Unions no option other than to ballot for strike action knowing full well how unpopular that would make the Trade Unions in the eyes of the public. In short the Government wanted the strike to happen, cynically worked toward that end, knowing it would stir up anti Trade Union feeling and by doing so they were more culpable for the disruption caused. As to the arguement that Public sector pensions are better than those in the Private sector it should be noted that many workers in the Public sector are paid lower wages than those in the Private sector and are compensated with a decent pension and rightly so. Cllr Nicklin whilst I admire your concern over the disruption caused to the public I ask that you be just as concerned regarding the effect of the punitive policies your Party’s Government is imposing upon the less well off and the disadvantaged and show some compassion for their plight and also some understanding and empathy with workers fighting for better and safer working conditions, a decent wage and an adequate pension who’se only weapon is a democratic right to withdrawal of their labour. To quote your Party Leader and Prime Minister “we are all in this together”. I can only add to that by saying that there are some of us who are more in it than others.