Harry Sloan A LABOUR government elected in May could be facing major clashes with the public sector unions by next winter, if Gordon Brown sticks to his line of enforcing Kenneth Clarke's brutal stranglehold on public sector spending.
But it could all go pear-shaped much sooner - as early as the autumn • if Labour ministers attempt to carry through their refusal to give 1.3 million teachers, soldiers, nurses and other NHS professional staff the pay increases recommended by Brown's belligerent stance on these issues, coupled with Blair's as. surance to business chiefs that Labour would leave the Thatcherite rebuff to union leaders who have suggested a new 'social partnership Pete Firmin forum' involving TUC and labour chiefs, all fuel growing suspicion that abour's strategy involves provokin rapid clash with the unions. which the viriiy or rew Labour as a reliable tool of the bosses could be underlined.
On every front the party is taking its distance from the unions, with its attention focused exclusively on the 150,000 floating voters in the key marginal seats which they want to stepped in to veto attempts to In announcing his plan to freeze public spending to the existing protax - even on top earners - for the lifetime of the next Parliament (five yes own deshy wanto to sene clear signals of friendship to the City, and to put the boot in to cam. paigns that are building against cuts in schools, social services and other Testing the ground for a fut-scale punch-up with the unions? Blair and Brown council services. concessions from a Labour governnent has been reinforced by Frank cil leaders, who are wrestling with massive shortfalls and looking for relief from central governmene. Labour will maincain the Tory cap on spending, warms Gooson, so ell suring that thousands of jobs and vital services will get the chop.
Growing gap But it is certain to get worse: Clarke's limits on spending imply an ever-growing gap in the funding of services. health and education that would trigger a new round of cuts begin. ning in the autumn with health authority purchasing plans and run. ning through the winter. Even i Labour could tough it out once, the same problems would come back.
only puny on won second one If Labour in government is to slug It out with five million public sector workers, perhaps the best time to save a woow uncaren after an election in which the hated Tories have been defeated. Perhaps as is are son why row has chosen to throw down the gauntiet to the union leaders by re- Creases fusing to underwrite the pay review body proposals rather than focus on the obvious cynicism of the Tories who know that there is not enough money in Kenneth Clarke's allocaauthorities and armed forces to pay the tur ires withous trikering another round of cuts in jobs and I he proposed increases (3.253.1%) are marginaly above inflation. For NHS staff there is the added bonus of scrapping the discredited system of local pay bargaining which sibly go for review in most Trusts, and offered Even UNISON's Rodney Bicker- what's happening. staffe - who has kept his head well seems to have given rs and below the parapet on earlier Labour pronouncement, ano cone noting to campaign against council cuts - ction, holdi and teachers' leader Doug McAvoy lion i nave spoken out in oppositon to Labour or the Tories phasing the in. irtugu River But they must do more. I hey must spell out what workers want Bma from a Labour government, Why ficati they pay the political levy to Labour. 1 be m and that if the Blair government will not give workers what they need, there will be a fight. Inside the "or: ed to why the link-up of union Broad Lefts c Par (pl 1) İs such an important initiative. ver ha he dancer is abours end has ership is tooling up for a massive to the confrontation at the same time as it ludes prepares to gag the NEC - and pos- severing the link with the " ap. old Mons ars any conter ence - the union leaders are keeping their heads so low they cannot see