Striking Prison Officers

I have always held the view (even during my time as an underpaid, over-rated Civil Servant) that public servants should not go on strike over pay. It rarely works and it rarely endears them to the public and there is a strong morality issue involved. I must stress "over pay", there are things I would have gone on strike over and I was a Union member and remain a big fan of Unions when they use there power and influence wisely, and I saw some evidence of that.

However, there is another, secondary aspect to this strike which again highlights the hypocrisy of Blair. The Prison Officers were promised that there right to strike would be returned to them post-1997 and it has never happened. Personally, I have concerns over their right to strike - but if Blair promised it, it should have happened. I wonder if Gordon Brown will return it - after all he was pivotal to the 1997 victory.

I also have concerns about an organisation whose members are responsible for looking after people who have broken the law from taking illegal strike action.

I am sure there is bags of hypocrisy in all that, but it makes sense to me.