Miliband 'Too Weak' To Criticise Strikes

Ed Miliband has been challenged to condemn next week's strike by Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party Sayeeda Warsi.

Speaking on Thursday, Ms Warsi said that new figures from the Electoral Commission showed Labour had received 86% of their funding from trade unions since Ed Miliband became Labour leader.

Ms Warsi also argued that the forthcoming strikes would cost the economy some £500 million.

"We have huge respect for the hard-working men and women who keep our vital services running. We depend on them every day and they do a brilliant job. That's why we are angry that union bosses are ordering millions of public sector workers to strike next week - even while talks are under way. Only a quarter of union members backed industrial action," MP Warsi said.

She added: "At a time when we're trying to get the economy back on its feet, it's extraordinary that Ed Miliband is too weak to call off his trade union paymasters from a strike that will cost millions of pounds."

However, responding to the comments TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, who is one of the chief architects of the strike, said that while the strikes on 30 November will obviously cause disruption, the figures suggested by Conservative ministers were "fantasy economics".

"This is the clearest sign yet that next week's Autumn Statement will be a damp squib and the government is using the strike as yet another desperate excuse.

"Blaming the weather, the royal wedding and now scapegoating hard-working teachers, nurses and dinner ladies for the UK's economic woes is pretty poor from a government that has presided over record unemployment and the weakest economic recovery for a century."

The TUC leader said that dedicated public sector workers took no pleasure in taking action next week but the blame for this strike lay squarely with the government for "failing to engage in serious talks".

(DW)