Isn't it strange how politicians and the media are suddenly all aware of our concerns over pensions - could it be that our strike ballot is making them take note at long last?
Danny Alexander's less than subtle threats have only confirmed what we knew all along - that the Government weren't taking the pensions negotiations seriously. That's why we are absolutely right to take strike action now - to make them think again.
Ed Balls advice this morning that taking action is 'falling into a trap' is, I'm afraid, also nonsense. As Mark Serwotka rightly said on the BBC this morning, what exactly does he think that we should do?
It's quite clear that this Government won't listen to reasoned argument. Unfortunately, neither did Ed Balls' previous Labour Government. After all it's ex-Labour Minister John Hutton that's now leading these attacks on pensions (just like ex-Labour Health Secretary Milburn is complaining that Cameron has retreated on health privatisation!!).
No, it was the threat of joint action in 2005-6 that forced the last Labour Government to retreat over their attacks on pensions - leading to the agreement that the Con-Dems are now trying to rip-up. Once again, we need to take joint action to persuade Ministers to retreat and to negotiate a serious agreement rather than impose a pensions robbery.
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