Union leaders hint at industrial action
Union needs in the UK have this weekend given their strongest indication of planned industrial action and civil disobedience in the short to medium term. The unions believe that up to 150,000 public sector employment positions could be at risk as the UK government pushes through significant public-sector spending cuts and they are willing to fight back. However, the unions are eager to avoid talk of the 1979 Winter of Discontent which literally saw the UK grind to a standstill.
There is no doubt that a battle between the coalition government and the unions has been on the cards for some time despite David Cameron allegedly inviting union leaders to number 10 Downing St. for talks. There is no doubt that the two parties are on very different sides of the page and very unlikely to find any middle ground which can be used to avoid conflict in the short to medium term.
The unions will mindful of the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher took on the unions, led by Arthur Scargill, and literally smashed them. There have already been rumours that the UK government is looking to curb union powers in the UK which will place the Labour Party in a very difficult position as it is financially backed by the unions.
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