I was just that little bit too young to remember the real impact of the striking car-workers in the 1970s, but I know exactly the outcome: a non-existent volume car manufacturing industry here in the UK.
The power of the unions in the 1970s had grown out of all proportion and you can see why Maggie decided to take them all on -- and win. Workers in throughout the Industrial Revolution had no rights and many worked in appalling conditions, so you can see why the workers needed someone or some organisation to stand up for them. The unions became too powerful and threatened to damage the very industries that were paying their members, in most cases, a rather good wage (boosted by bonuses, overtime and other additional payments).
Fast-forward to today and with BA we have a situation where a company losing millions is having to make cuts; the unions won't allow these cuts to be made and the cabin crew have walked out. The result is millions of pounds in lost revenue for every day the aircraft remain on the ground.
It shouldn't take a genius to work out what will happen if the workers continue to strike. They might win the argument but, when they're sitting filling in their unemployment payment forms, they might wonder how they managed to lose the war. As for the unions? They're all right, Jack.
Must fly...
