Michael Gove has called teachers unprofessional for striking. He says they will lose their reputation with the public. he says the public will support the government in strike reform as a result.
But now the doctors are also saying they will not accept pension reform. I should declare a benefit: my wife is a GP. And as the Guardian reports today:
Doctors could take industrial action over the government's "unwarranted and unfair assault" on their pensions, the profession's leader has warned ministers.
Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the British Medical Association, delivered a sharply worded rejection of the coalition's pensions plans in his keynote address to the doctors' union's annual conference on Monday.
"Let me make it absolutely clear: we will consider every possible, every legitimate action that can be taken to defend doctors' pensions," he said in a speech to 500 doctors' representatives in Cardiff.
"I have this message for ministers. Whilst we will be reasonable, whilst we will not rush to precipitate action, whilst we will not put patients' lives at risk, do not in any way or for one single moment mistake this responsible attitude as a reason to underestimate our strength of feeling and our determination to seek fairness for those we represent.
"The profession will act responsibly, but we will not accept an unwarranted and unfair assault on our pensions."
And I genuinely believe they might.
There is good reason. Teachers, doctors and the police (who will follow suit on this) have high status in society: they're trusted. Politicians don't enjoy that confidence. Take on two of these groups, or worse, all three and the government is bound to lose.
The reality is that all these groups do exceptional jobs for less than market rates precisely because of the pension benefit that compensates them for the burdens they take on - which few in the private sector face.
Of course the government can take on teachers, doctors and people working in law and order. But to call them unprofessional, or to suggest they are militant is madness on the government's part. They're not. They're decent people doing a decent job who expect the governemtn to do the decent thing and pay them a decent reward for that work.
And people will side against the government if push comes to shove, as it might.
There;'s a difficult year for the coalition ahead.
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Professionals don’t go on strike.
So whatever happens and whatever is asked of them they do it?
That’s an absurd proposition
EVERYBODY strikes when they have to. It’s their only real weapon other than taking up flaming torches and pitchforks. Be thankful then when any group of people, professionals included, adopt striking as their chosen means of protest.
BB
That’s pure nonsense. Professionals have more to lose than anyone, for precisely the reason Richard has just pointed out — and strikes by professionals, at least in this country, have historically been the most effective. Dr Meldrum is merely voicing what his constituents have already figured out for themselves: that without the threat of industrial action, the government has no intention of negotiating reasonably.
we need public sector workers, they perform valuable and sometimes life saving services for the public, imv we dont value them enough, it is only right that their work is protected and preserved. the alternative is shoddy services that will be seen as valueless and then will be sold off (outsourced) to any willing provider, involving the profit motive. and we know where that leads…you only have to look at what has happened to the sick and disabled assessments. massive errors (acknowledged by the govt) sick people or ‘claimants’ put under significant stress and so on…I do not wish to see this kind of thing spread. Can you imagine what our fireservice would be like? or the police service? no thanks. I stand by public sector workers and will continue to fight for fair pay in the private sector also.
I don’t believe what’s happening with the disabled has to do with incompetence. In my view the whole point of the ATOS testing is that it facilitates the transfer of hundreds of millions of pounds from the public purse to the private sector where it may be divvied up by the crooked businessmen and corrupt politicians (of all parties) involved. That’s all it is, just a scam. The tests have no medical merit and no practical application other than the above. These people being declared fit to work are in reality unemployable. The testing ignores any difficulty they are likely to have in actually getting to and from any place of work and they as they can’t take care of themselves someone would in many cases have to be employed to take them to the toilet and feed them as necessary. The fact is that by any reasonable assessment these people are unemployable and so clearly entitled to the financial support the government is taking way from them. The whole scheme is a get-rich-quick scam, nothing more. In my view, Chris Grayling should be answering questions about this in the dock, not in the media.
I’d say the same applies to wind-farming, another patently absurd idea except when you examine what it actually does, transfer money from the poor to the rich and so widening the social divide. I see what’s happening with the teachers and what threatens to happen with police and firemen etc as deliberate attempts to disrupt society for the poor and the middle classes. It won’t affect the wealthy as they can afford tutors and security guards. I don’t know what plans they might have for recruiting personal firefighters but I’d assume they have something in mind.
BB
Let’s go blunt on this one: 17% of the population trust government ministers. 81% trust teachers. Mr Gove… you lose.
As high as 17% ?
I’m astounded.
The use of ATOS speaks loudly about the future of the NHS, under both labour and conservative.
Mind you, an examination of the links between politicians and private “providers” would certainly open a few eyes. But given the fact that the MSM is too busy consulting its own rear end most of the time, I think it unlikely it will have the time.