The General Strike of 2011

On Wednesday there is likely to be the largest strike Britain has seen since the General Strike of 1926. Many Conservatives have condemned the strike but do the workers of this country have the right to not go to work?

There are two major arguments being used against the strikers and neither of them hold water, they are inflammatory and propagandist. 

Argument 1:

It is often condemned as holding the country to ransom, that the workers are black mailing the country to get what they want. This is said by the likes of Boris Johnson a man who hides his intelligence behind a clumsy personality and funny hair. However, what he is saying could easily be mistaken as making sense. Although, if you put it another way, that the workers are simply withdrawing their labour for one day, it does not seem like such a heinous crime. Does Mr. Johnson seriously believe we should force people to work, that does not seem very democratic to me. But then BoJo often seems like he is striving to be the absolute leader of the world. 

Argument 2:

The second argument against the strike is that hardly anyone voted for them so they are invalid. This is true, people join unions but then do not participate in them which is unhelpful in the case for the workers. However, there was just a 65% turnout at the last general election, but do we question the authority of the government? As much as we think we might there are no revolutions in the UK... as of yet.

So why are they striking? 

Pensions is the tag line but it is much bigger. Public sector workers have had a pay freeze for the past few years and with inflation at 5% this makes things tough. They are constantly in fear of loosing there jobs or being replaced by private business. Teachers are being undermined by Free Schools, doctors by the privatisation of the NHS and people are not happy.


It is being advertised as a day of solidarity and protest and I hope it will make a difference.