Any Union is required to give several (I think 6?) months notice of planned strike action and can only do so after lengthy negotiations and a ballot of its members.

That way, the negotiation process can be given full time to work, and many more strikes are called off due to resolution than actually take place.

The government of the Thatcher era, particularly the early-mid 1980's did indeed shackle the Unions to prevent the 'wildcat' strikes, and also to prevent 'flying pickets' - members of other Unions and from other areas coming in to bolster and encourage what might have otherwise been seen as a weak and unstable picket line. These 'flying pickets' were seen as 'rent-a-mob' as violence and breaches of the peace invariably followed their progress across the country. Whether this was fact or not, it was given as a major reason for restricting the number of official pickets now allowed to congregate at a strike site.

I am a Union member, Public and Commercial Services (PCS) and before that UNISON and NALGO (National Association of Local Government Officers). I support my Union in most things but I will not support illegal, wildcat strikes. In my experience they do more harm than good, alienating the general public to what may be a genuine grievance. Thus the whole process of industrial action is tainted and more and more rights of the worker are ignored, agreements broken and people made to suffer.

Strike action should always be the last resort, not the first salvo.

LTS