Austerity creates greater militancy

THE prospect of industrial action affecting further education colleges in Wales is unlikely to be popular with students or the employees themselves.

Students do not want to have their courses disrupted by striking lecturers, and staff do not relish the loss of pay that follows any withdrawal of labour.

Yet after eight years of austerity policies pursued by the UK Government that have resulted in pay freezes and below-inflation rises, it’s no surprise that some public sector workers feel at the end of their tether.

Shocking evidence emerged earlier this month about the financial straits that some non-academic employees find themselves in – unable to afford the bus fare to work and skipping meals. They seem to genuinely represent the new breed of working poor.

FE staff grievances are not restricted to pay, though, with many complaining that the workloads expected of them are unsustainable.

Pushed far enough, people will sometimes vote for industrial action. Lecturers have provided their union with a mandate to organise it, and their non-academic colleagues may well join them.

The employers are in an unenviable position. They do not have independent sources of revenue that go beyond what they receive from the public sector, and have to make do with the resources they have.

We very much hope there is room for compromise. With squeezed budgets, it is difficult to see how the colleges could afford to agree to the 7.5% rise called for by union members. On the other hand, it would be good to think that with some creative thinking it would be possible to improve on the 1% offer that has been made.

Ultimately, however, it is austerity itself that needs to be ended. It has left people with less money to spend, reducing tax receipts that provide the cash needed for investment in public services. It has helped to create the current situation where the UK has one of the slowest growth rates in Europe.

What we need is an expanding economy where those working in all sectors can afford to spend more, creating a virtuous circle where all can have a share of future prosperity. Continuing uncertainty over Brexit does nothing to make that achievable. Yet unless austerity is ended, we can expect to see greater militancy from public sector employees, with more disruption that is damaging to all those affected.