In this article, Canadians Stephanie Ross and Larry Savage highlight the "taxpayer backlash" that public sector unions face when they seek to defend collective bargaining. "No-one is a disinterested bystander during a public sector strike"
And right-wing, conservative politicians and their supporters seek at every turn to blame the public sector for every wrong in the economy.
Ross and Savage argue that "to overcome these divide-and-conquer
strategies, and defend against further attacks on the rights of public
sector workers, unions will require new strategic thinking and modes of
action. That means more effectively connecting the interests of public
sector workers with those of citizens, by linking contract demands to
the enhancement of the quality and availability of public services."
Public services are central and key to the quality of our lives and as a result unions need to strengthen the connections between the interests of those who provide the services and those who use and need the services.
The article focuses on Canada but is equally applicable to developing countries in the Caribbean. We invite you to read the article.
What more can you and your union do to help the public understand and value public services?
Related link
Learn more about the authors and their new book "Public Sector Unions in the Age of Austerity"
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