Pension Dispute Doomed Without Labour Support

We are less than a week from the largest public sector strike for generations and I will play my part in supporting my union's strike action and in doing so, supporting the millions of public sector workers who face drastic cuts to both their take home pay and standard of living in retirement. Yet one factor above all is damaging the just cause of immense united front - the Labour party.

I note and respect the support that many in Labour in Wales are giving to the dispute and will gladly march with them next Wednesday, but it's not a devolved issue. Consequently, without Ed Miliband and his shadow Ministers backing the unions, what hope to we have to get any sympathy from either the press or public? In my opinion, none at all.

'Red' Ed (and how more ironic can you get) is by all accounts a very intelligent and pleasant individual, but as with other recent Labour leaders, is fixated with the late Philip Gould's creation - the focus group. Any move to support the strike sends alarms bells ringing in Labour HQ, so he is keeping his head down and avoiding the issue. Yet, there is precedent where a New Labour leader slavishly followed focus groups and got his fingers burnt. Prime Minister Blair ignored calls to look at the tax on fuel, as the focus groups told him so. However, the mood of the nation changed within hours once road blocks started and he was left out on a limb.

So what will it take to persuade 'Red Ed' to put on his wax jacket and get down to the picket line on Wednesday? Well, the affiliated sections of the linked trade unions have tried and failed to change his mind, despite hours of behind the scenes debate at the recent Labour conference. Without Labour support, the media is more or less showing contempt for public sector workers and unless everyone starts buying the Morning Star, there will little change here. This just leaves a judgement call by Red Ed.

If Ed Miliband truly believes that by refusing to back the strike next week, it will cost him his leadership, then there is a chance that he will be pushed off the fence he is sitting on and show at least a level of support to the strikers. However, only the affiliated unions can deliver this push and to date, there is little sign of it.

Time to Make Ed's Fence a little Spiky

For instance, I recently received my monthly magazine from Unison where there were 25 pages of excellent analysis of the dispute, together with advice on how to make the most of the strike day. It has posters built into it, stories on regional and national plans and all the advice you could possible want - but what was missing?

In all 25 pages of news, articles and advice, there was not one mention of the Labour party.

If the unions are not prepared to take the 'nuclear' option and make it quite clear to Red Ed what is at stake, then I see no way of winning this dispute; condemning generations to less pay and lower standards of living in retirement. If this dispute is lost, the ramifications to the trade union movement could be extremely severe, as not only will the Tories and Libs be after them, but so will their members. Why should people pay a monthly fee for a union that cannot defend their basic terms and conditions?

The stakes could not be higher for Red Ed or the trade union movement and if neither blinks, then both could be doomed.