Sad
Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

Keir Starmer fires someone for supporting rail strikes.

It's called the Labour Party but you are not allowed to support the Labour movement. Just say boring things and nod because.
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
SunshineGirl · 36-40, F
Party discipline. Members of the shadow cabinet were instructed not to join the picket and that MP chose to defy the whip.

On the grounds of fairness, I cannot sympathise much with the rail strike action. Train drivers' salaries have been inflated by two decades of 'competition' between competing rail franchises. Now the system is effectively nationalised (in all but name), those workers need to realise that they are in the same queue as teachers, nurses, prison officers and civil servants, and that in this context they are doing rather nicely.

Many people are under pressure and strike action should be used only as a last resort. I think Keir Starmer has correctly gauged public opinion in this instance.
Burnley123 · 41-45, M
@SunshineGirl There are a lot of myths going around about wages, particularly of RMT workers.


https://fullfact.org/economy/RMT-strike-salary/

For me, it's not the point to juxtapose rail workers with other sectors. Fwiw, I'm a teacher and we are also getting hit by the cost if living crisis. The government want workers to have rivalries with each other, for obvious reasons.

Corporate profits are high and increasing, including amongst the train companies. If the RMT are successful in gaining concessions then other sectors may be successful in their disputes and other companies will have to pay better wages to retain staff. Look at France, where they have a much more active union movement and how difficult it is there to undercut worker pay and conditions.

The last opinion poll I saw showed public support for the strike split pretty evenly down the middle. I would also bet that of those supporting the strike, a high number are Labour voters. The Conservative government is against the strikes and wants to ban them, which is bad news for all of us.

For sure, Tarry knew he was daring Starmer to fire him by challenging the leadership's position. The problem is, as I see it, that Starmer's position was wrong to begin with.