Most people in the public sector know that now, where it wasn’t necessarily clear with CP 1, that they are embedded in a process whose aim is the progressive diminution of their pay, conditions and, consequently, their and their family’s living standards. The sectors who are ‘unaffected’ by this deal, and there are are some, are kidding themselves if they think a ‘Yes’ will have no consequences for them. Quite apart, as previous commentors have noted, from the grevious breach in solidarity that such attitudes represent. The TUI vote is a good start and will encouragee the ‘No’ side in SIPTU and IMPACT, I think.
Having attended the CPSU, INMO, IMO & Unite ‘NO’ roadshow, and seeing Michael Taft’s analysis being deployed effectively, I think there is a greater understanding that the ’1 billion savings’ line is completely bogus.
Finally, if there is a ‘NO’ vote serious questions will have to be asked about the executives of both IMPACT and SIPTU and their grasp of basic trade unionism. Also, the question of Labour party members holding high office in unions and watching the back of their party in government will have to be dealt with. At the very least there’ll have to be a push that senior trade unions representing public sector workers, step aside from executives and Chairs if they are declared party members where the party they are a member of are in government. It might not be workable but it, or something like it will have to be tried.