Nottingham Labour On Strike Against Itself

Today Nottingham Labour is on strike against itself. Nottingham Labour councillors, prospective councillors and activists have either stopped working for the people of Nottingham or are encouraging others to stop working for Nottingham City Council. The City Council is Labour controlled so in essence they're striking against themselves.

The Nottingham Labour official twitter account @NG_Labour have re-tweeted Steve Battlemuch the Labour councillor for Wollaton West in support of his participation in a strike march for Nottingham City Council. Cllr Battlemuch works full time for the PCS union.

Cllr Battlemuch says that other councillors had joined him on the picket lines but we are unsure exactly which ones. However, checking the Twitter accounts of Nottingham Labour councillors reveals a few who are supporting or are out on strike. These include Cllrs Sally Longford for Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey and David Mellon, who is the lead councillor for children and also standing as the Labour candidate to be MP for Rushcliffe.

Prospective Wollaton West councillor and trade union official, Nick Raine, was also out on strike with Dennis Skinner MP in Chesterfield. His twitter was full of tweets urging others to stop working for Nottingham City Council, which he wants to work for. It's a bit odd that the slate of prospective Labour councillors for Wollaton West are union officials. I wonder if the residents approve of this?

I haven't been able to confirm if other Labour councillors were out on strike, the likelihood is more were. But isn't it a bit odd for Nottingham Labour councillors, prospective councillors and activists to try and urge people to stop working in the City Council which they control. Essentially they are giving out the message that people shouldn't work for them. I find that a bit strange. It's not often that people strike against themselves. Perhaps it is an epiphany for Nottingham Labour as they have realised they really are not very good at running the City Council? Bring on the 2015 local elections and hopefully a Conservative victory then.

The Conservatives are very clear on strike action. The closure of 11 day care centres, 27 schools (with 20 partially closed), 9 children's centres, 3 leisure centres (6 with some disruption), all but one library, Nottingham Castle and the stoppage of all bin collections in Nottingham is not on (other services may have been affected too). People need these services and they should not be disrupted by quasi-political strikes. Everyone today has had their life made harder in some way. It's just a shame Nottingham Labour are backing these strikes and that Red Ed is a not saying anything and quietly supporting these strikes too.