"Bruce" wrote in message

On Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:04:59 -0000, "Recliner"
wrote:

As you say, the RMT is one of the more militant unions, and perhaps
its members would remain just as militant even if the union were
headed by someone else. After all, they voted for Crow, and would
presumably elect someone else in his mould if he disappeared -- in
effect, they're in control, not the union leader. Even if the union
didn't exist, they may still call unofficial, wildcat strikes or
disrupt the railway in other ways (rather like the TOCs whose
drivers suddenly won't work on Sundays).


What is needed here, and across much of the public service sector, is
a combination of a no-strike deal and compulsory pendulum arbitration
of pay claims. But it will never happen under Labour, because Labour
doesn't want to upset its Union paymasters.

Yes, but I wonder if the Tories will be brave enough to do it either? I
suppose the more of a winter of discontent we have between now and the
election, the easier it will be for Cameron to stand up to them. But,
like Maggie vs Scargill, he'll need to be well-prepared.

And we'll also need better management in those public sector
organisations -- pendulum arbitration works well in businesses like
Japanese car factories, but may be harder in the poorly managed public
sector.