Strike Diary

Today I was one of one and half million Local Government workers to strike against the Labour Party's pension changes.

8am: I turn up at the office to meet the other Stewards who have joined the Picket Line. Over the following few hours the picketing was beset with various problems. Partly security guards overstepping their authority, partly members of the public who didn't know there was a strike on (jeezo guys, watch the fecking news). Because we don't know who's a Union member and who's not, we end up speaking to everyone who passes "Why are you going past the picket?" "Because I'm a builder, not a council worker!" And so on. One of the stewards complained about lack of public support (in the sense that it wasn't 100%. I argued that any visual presence was decent.

12pm: Glasgow for the Rally. We indulge a march from Blythswood Square to Glasgow Green. I point out we're switching one Red Light district for another, and what the hell are the unions thinking? Apparently I'm the only person who notices this... The turnout is 10,000 and that's magnificient. The SSP makes a decent turnout which I'm glad of, because if they're going to recruit these people (i.e. Council Workers) they had to come out in force. Unison has already threatened to withdraw support for the 2007 elections, and the SSP needed force out there, and they were very visual.

The rally speakers were all pretty good, pretty left wing. I was impressed enough to not joke as much as usual. Mike Kirby (Unison Dude) was excellent. Much better than I would've thought. All Union speakers, all left wing. Played to the crowd, remained left wing. There was even a "So why the fuck are we paying into labour!" heckle which I'm pretty sure I was the only one to cheer (other than the SSP at the back).

So, pretty good today. Fuck your Union Jack, we want our pensions back!