Crow is superficially well-placed to negotiate in that his members can make life miserable for the public by short strikes.

The problem is that the public can no longer afford his members' pay. For a well-paid public sector, we need a healthy private sector of sufficient size. This we do not have now. It seems to have been an illusion that we did over the last ten years or so. Painful.

The downturn coincides with labour-technology being established.

Crow, poor man, is like the cartoon character cycling in mid-air after going off a cliff. He can bluster, and there may be strikes, but he can't find more cash.