Posts Tagged ‘European elections’

I’ve had a client over from the US this week and chatting with him has really brought it home to me what a strange few days it has been. First we elect two BNP members to the European Parliament, despite widespread outrage and condemnation of their policies.

Then our tube drivers go on strike, which although is massively inconvenient for many (not me, god bless Streatham’s surplus of overground stations) does seem to bring out a real stoicism in Londoners. Whatever the city’s faults, its citizens rarely let things faze them and just shrug and carry on with their business in the face of adversity.

Will this stoicism last another 48 hours though? Fighting for bus space is no fun and I wonder how people will view the dispute between LU and tube workers on Thursday evening? I broadly support the right to strike but when tube workers do so the impact is such that I suspect public sympathy will be scarce. Especially when you see that they earn a decent wage (£40K) for a 35 hour working week.

With an estimated cost to business of £100m over the two day strike, what do you think? Justified action or holding bosses to ransom? To paraphrase Alan Sugar I’m going to get me a cushion and sit on the fence. Ask me again tomorrow evening though and I may have shifted to the political right a little.