Strike?

It has finally reached the point at work in the current negotiations that a strike by us workers is the only way of showing management that they need to be more reasonable. In the latest round of union meetings today (over 3 shifts) we voted for a one day strike sometime next week, probably Tues or Wed.

The management has been entirely unco-operative and difficult through the whole process. This is the first agreement the site has negotiated with the new Empire that took over the company a while ago. They appointed a new factory manager and it seems that they're wanting to try it on with us. 

The other agreement ran out in Jan, so we are supposed to have had another agreement in place by then along with the yearly wage rise involved. The union entered into negotiations well before the run out date, but all the management has done has stall and put up propositions to attack our current conditions. Then in doing so accused us of stalling the negotiations and refused to back pay the wage rise (whatever it will be when received) to Jan when we were supposed to get it. And after 3 months of negotiations after Jan (which according to the legislation are to be engaged in "in good faith") they hadn't even offered us any wage rise at all. So we decided to proceed with industrial action.

We have done it all by the book, followed all the procedures. If we do strike next week it will be a "protected action". It will be unlawful for anyone in the union who takes part in the strike to be fired for example. This is part of the negotiating process, which is a last resort on our part. It appears this is the only way forward. Nobody likes going on strike, but sometimes you've just got to do it.

The management after it became clear we were actually willing to strike a couple of weeks back, caved in on most of the attacks against our conditions and came up with a 3% wage rise offer. Being as inflation is above 3% here then that was unacceptable to us and we want more. We are working people living from week to week on our pay, and anything less than the inflation rate is just BS. Along with all the management lines about why it can't be more.

"The company isn't making enough profit". FFS that just makes my blood boil. We workers are just as much a part of the company as management. There would be NO profits if not for us. Why should we go without so that the executives and the shareholders can line their fuckin pockets? We work there for our livelyhood, just like everyone else involved in the place. We need the money the company makes, just like they do. Why shouldn't us workers get our fair share of the profits? We work hard for our money. And how much are they paying their glorified BS artist executives anyway?

This really isn't so much about money. It's about management treating us like idiots. About the Empire testing us in this first agreement with us. They thought they could walk all over us. Like we were all brain dead fuckwits. Well we are about to bring their corporate machine to a grinding halt if they don't realise we're not slaves to their Empire.

Management called the union organiser this afternoon for an emergency meeting. It was held late in the day so I don't know the outcome yet. The last thing they want is a strike and will do everything to avoid it.