Letters: Public service unions have death wish

Striking primary and intermediate school teachers march and rally in Kaitaia in support of their claims for better pay and conditions.

Having watched the spate of strike action by various unionised workforces, with the probability of more to come, I am starting to wonder if the public service union movement has a death wish.

I am also wondering why they did not take action over the nine years the Key government was in power, and they were getting well and truly screwed.

In my experience, one-day strikes, street parades, waving placards etc is very theatrical but achieves nothing, as I am sure their negotiators are aware.

No matter how well deserved a big increase, and it is, in the end you get the best deal you can. The negotiators should have told their members to pull their heads in and play the long game, because they run the very real risk of losing public sympathy if this continues for much longer.

In which case, having finally got a sympathetic government to deal with, it will be back to a National-led coalition and another nine years of cost-of-living increases.

Poor old Jacinda must be pulling her hair out.

BRIAN PAGE
Tokerau Beach