We're
now heading towards our third national NHS strike. The decision by UNISON and GMB to call a further 2 days of strike action is
welcome, and gives the strikes and the campaign to save the NHS a
much needed boost.
The
continuation and escalation of the action is a welcome break from the
tendency to call off action which has plagued all unions the last
several years.
However
NHS workers are alone on strike among public sector workers. All the
other public sector strikes taking place at the same time as the NHS
dispute have been called off; schools, local government, civil
service, universities and further education and the London
Underground were all cancelled, despite ballots that were as good or
better than the NHS unions.
So
what is at work here? And what can NHS activists and trade unionist
do to make the most of this period of action.
