Assembly Members who stay away from the Senedd because of a strike by workers should give up a day’s pay, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives has said.
Some Labour and Plaid Cymru members will not cross a picket line by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and as such, meetings have been rescheduled. The union is striking in a UK Government row over job losses, pay and pensions.
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “Striking Assembly Members should consult their consciences very carefully and either give up their pay and pension contributions or donate them to charity.
“Other public sector workers will lose a day’s pay for joining the picket line and it is unfair, greedy and hypocritical for Assembly Members to keep theirs.
“I remain hopeful that Labour and Plaid Members will still decide to come to work and debate issues of national importance in the Assembly.
“As Carwyn Jones’s reshuffle highlighted last week – the NHS in Wales is failing and needs a fresh approach. Labour’s record-breaking budget cuts are heaping untold pressure on frontline staff and the views of communities across the country are being completely ignored in the reconfiguration process.
“On education, the economy, poverty, and health – Carwyn Jones’s government is failing. It needs an urgent rethink of policy and much more emphasis on localism and the empowerment of communities right across the country.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Ministers will be undertaking government engagements and dealing with any matters that arise throughout the day but will not be crossing picket lines.”
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said: “The UK Government is wrong to be punishing workers for the financial mess they and the previous Labour Government has caused.?
“The withdrawal of labour by workers and the loss of a day’s pay are never taken lightly so this clearly demonstrates the depth of anger by ordinary people who have already conceded much in the way of pay and conditions in recent years.
“Clearly they have decided that enough is enough. Having been the chair of the Assembly’s cross-party PCS group I understand the level of anger from workers and they have my full sympathy and support.
“Most of today’s plenary activity was shifted to the previous day.? Meetings I had planned for my office at the National Assembly building in Cardiff Bay today have been re-located as I will not cross the picket line.”??
Not crossing a picket line is an important show of solidarity and a demonstration of conscience from those who partake. The Conservatives do not believe in this practise, any more than they believe in independent trade unions. They are right, however, to demand that those AMs that do not cross picket lines are also not paid.
It did not cross my mind that Assembly Members would expect to be paid after refusing to cross a picket line until this was raised by the Tory leader. When a person makes a choice not to cross a picket line they themselves are on strike in support. To expect payment of salary and expenses in that situation is disreputable and I expect better from elected members.
R.T Davies? Who?
I am sure that our Assembly Member Jeff Cuthbert, will work equally as industriously form his constituency office as he would from his office in the assembly.
The same would apply, one would hope, to all other Labour and Plaid Cymru Members. I would suggest R.T Davies makes the most of today, it will be the only day his party outnumbers the other parties in the Assembly building by a mile and will never happen under any other circumstances.
Yet again we hear the same old Anti – Trade Union line coming from the Tories. Well done to all Labour and Plaid Cymru members for rufusing to cross the picket line to show solidarity with those workers who are under the hammer of Tory austerity.
It is a shame however that the Plaid Cymru leader in the Assembly could not convince all her party to not cross the picket line as Daffyd Elis Thomas was happy to defy her and make his way into the Assembly today. I've never doubted her personal commitment to the Trade Union movement but surely if they cant speak as one when it comes to matters like this it must be worrying for her as the leader of the third party in Wales.
Maybe the Tories should give back the THIRTY FIVE MILLION QUID they received through Westminster from public funds (short money) over the last ten years. Their actions on #workfare yesterday defy belief and Labour are just as bad. Respect for law? None. Contempt for the unemployed? Limitless!
Spending billions on bankers is fine for Tories and Labour and squeezing the poor to get the money back is the stuff of Tory wet dreams.
Wales and Scotland need to escape this #sickuk asap.