On the today programme yesterday there was a spat between John Humphries and Bob Crow of the R.M.T Union. The Radio 4 host said the High Court's decision to grant an injunction halting a four-day national rail strike "raises suspicions the ballot was rigged". Crow naturally took umbrage with this.
Notwithstanding what Humphries phraseology was there was a clear attempt at giving the impression that the union was behaving dishonestly in my opinion.
I must admit I’m getting tired of John Humphries whose constant interruption seems less than getting the truth out of an evasive interviewee than enhancing his own status. And I would love it foe him challenged more often, as he was by Bob Crow especially when he adds a snear to his statement which is clear in his voice.
Indeed the whole of the Today’s team reporting on the recent number of strikes leaves a lot to be desired. All too often a so called expert is wheeled out to give their viewpoint which nearly agrres with that of the management.
I am also of the opinion that these disputes have been accelerated by the management who believe that either the Unions would be reluctant to go on strike just before an election and/or the prospect of such a conflict would encourage an incoming Conservative government.
Strike is always a bad thing but sometimes the Unions and the Workers have no option. This is clear in the BA-Unison dispute which looks to be orchestrated in order to break the Union In the past they would have at least had the support of some left wing Labour MP’s but they have long vanished.
Perhaps this will not be such a bad thing. I have long been of the opinion that the trade Union movement should not be tied to one Party but rather put their members first.
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