John's Labour blog

My own personal blog. UNISON NEC member for Housing Associations & Charities, HA Convenor, London Regional Council Officer & Chair of its Labour Link Committee. Newham Cllr for West Ham Ward, Vice Chair of Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, Pension trustee, Housing & Safety Practitioner. Centre left and proud member of Labour movement family. Strictly no trolls please. Promoted by Luke Place on behalf of J.Gray, Newham Labour Group, St Luke’s Community Centre, E16 1HS.

Monday, September 05, 2022

Across the Red Line - Can going on strike any longer be justified?

I really enjoyed this defence of the right to strike by former General Secretary of the CWU (Royal Mail union) and Labour Home Secretary, Alan Johnson. He was in a Radio 4 debate with a right wing economist who believed that workers should not be allowed to break their employment contracts by going on strike (but confusingly he believed they could in periods of rapid inflation? Such as now?).

You can hear the podcast here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001b40r

Alan, was as always, a great communicator and articulated non sectarian powerful arguments in favour of the right to strike.

Today I have been in touch with comrades in the CWU about supporting the Royal Mail strikes later this week.

You can get copies of Alan's autobiographies here