VINCE CABLE, the coalition Business Secretary, used his speech to the GMB union’s annual conference yesterday to deliver a stark warning to the unions that the government is preparing to bring in new legislation to make strikes virtually illegal.
According to GMB general secretary, Paul Kenny, Cable was invited to ‘talk about jobs’ but he used the occasion to warn the GMB and the entire trade union movement that the coalition would not tolerate strikes against the mass destruction of jobs, pay and pensions in the public sector, and the wholesale smashing up of the welfare state.
After an appreciative nod towards the trade union leaders who have worked might and main to hold back their members from coming out before now, Cable made it clear that if – as he clearly expects – they are unable to prevent the barrage of strike action that is imminent, then the government would move to make striking illegal.
Cable said: ‘We are undoubtedly entering a difficult period. Cool heads will be required all round. Despite occasional blips, I know that strike levels remain historically low, especially in the private sector. On that basis, and assuming that this pattern continues, the case for changing the law is not compelling.’
Cable then went on: ‘However, should the position change, and should strikes impose serious damage to our economic and social fabric, the pressure on us to act would ratchet up.’
Cable knows full well that the position is set to change with a vengeance.
At the moment, the civil service union, PCS, is balloting over 250,000 of its members on strike action over the hundreds of thousands of jobs under threat, on pay cuts and pension increases.
They join teachers, lecturers and other workers in preparing for co-ordinated public sector strike action against the slash-and-burn policies of the government.
This is due to commence with a one-day national strike on June 30 which will see 750,000 public sector workers out.
They are also set to be joined by postal workers who, at their recent conference, voted unanimously for a one-day general strike against privatisation and destruction of public services and jobs, in other words, a political strike aimed squarely at the government.
The significance of Cable’s intervention was that this is the first time a minister in the government has come forward to make this explicit threat to make strikes illegal.
In the past, they have been careful to play down the calls from the bosses’ organisation, the CBI, and the so-called right-wing ‘mavericks’ of the Tory Party, like London mayor Boris Johnson, who have for some time been demanding impossible legal hurdles for strike ballots, and even for strikes in the public services to be outlawed completely.
The government have much preferred until now to rely on the right-wing leadership of the unions and TUC to confine the struggle to protest marches and petitions.
Under the enormous pressure from members, who are not prepared to see their lives shattered in order that the banks can remain in profit, these leaders are increasingly unable to hold back the huge tide of anger that has built up in the working class – so now the gloves have to come off.
In its weakness, the capitalist state is forced to fall back on the naked repression of the capitalist law courts and police to keep the workers in their place.
The only possible answer to the threats by Cable is to turn one-day strikes into an all-out indefinite general strike to kick out this government and replace it with a workers government that will go forward to socialism.
