On air at 1100GMT: What do strikes ever achieve?
| 10:20 UK time, Thursday, 30 June 2011
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Thousands of public sector workers are on strike today across the UK, in a row with the government over pensions and women being forced to work longer.
Greece has just seen a 48 hour strike over the austerity plans which were voted on by parliament. But they were approved by the Greek government, so what did the strike achieve?
According to the
"Protests are becoming increasingly common across Europe in what is turning into a summer of strife." In Poland, the Solidarity trade union has organized a day of protests in Warsaw against the centre-right government. "
Unite is one of the unions taking action in Britain today, Alan Mcguckin says
"Strikes are the only guaranteed resource that working people can use to defend themselves."
But what about the effect on the economy, on the public services, schools being shut, rubbish deliveries cancelled, job centres closed?
On this , they are debating whether striking is selfish and self-indulgent.
"Of course a strike is selfish....its about inconveniencing others to get better conditions for yourself....selfishness is the whole point. Im not sure it is self indulgent though"
Butpoints towards
"recent research published by the IMF suggests that part of the reason for the great financial crisis was that workers did not get enough of a pay rise......It looks at what happens when a thin slice of people at the top of society see big rises in their income while everyone else is left behind ......The end result, conclude researchers Michael Kumhof and Romain Ranciere, is an almighty crisis."
