Tories say Labour and Plaid MSs should surrender pay after showing solidarity with striking civil servants
The Welsh Conservatives have urged Labour and Plaid politicians to surrender a day’s pay after Senedd business was cancelled on Wednesday due to a strike by civil servants.
Members of the Labour Government and Plaid Cymru have both refused to cross the picket line as the Public and Commercial Services Union takes industrial action over pay.
Describing the move as “virtue signalling”, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said the two parties should instead be working to end the current wave of strikes among public sector workers in Wales.
Downing tools
“The people of Wales will not be impressed with Labour and Plaid politicians downing tools for the day when the Welsh NHS, education system, and economy are in dire need of attention,” Mr Davies said.
“Senedd members should be debating and scrutinising – instead these parties are taking a day off when they should be working to end the strikes they have the power to resolve.
“It is even more galling considering Labour’s very cosy relationships with the unions that bankroll their election campaigns. And isn’t it interesting that Labour won’t cross a picket line for nurses and teachers, but they will for probably better paid civil servants?
“As a price for their virtue signalling, Labour and Plaid should forego their pay for the day – otherwise where is the solidarity they claim when workers lose out on their wages?
“The Welsh Conservatives will be in work, doing what we can to hold the Labour Government and its partners in Plaid to account for the damage they are doing in Wales.”
The Senedd’s presiding officer Elin Jones, announced last week that today’s Senedd business was to be rescheduled when the day of action was confirmed.
She said: “As a Commission, we respect the right of trade union members to strike.”
Meanwhile, the Welsh Conservatives will be holding a Shadow Cabinet meeting.
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Only if Andrew RT Davies surrenders some of the thousands of pounds he claimed from the EU when we were still members
Annwyl Mr Davies, have you ever done anything positive for Wales in all the time you have been on the Senedd payroll ?
During an industrial dispute, we have a name for people who cross a picket line, scabs.
Well…you see this is the thing, one should lead by example, not make bold proclamations about what action others should take that you certainly have no intention of putting into action for yourself.
R(ank)T(**t) Davies, AGAIN, demonstrating one of the core philosophies of the dirty Tory scum he is one of:
“Do as we say not as we do, we know the correct courses of action for you to take, because we are better than you and because we are your betters we don’t have to action any of our suggestions, you just have to take our word for it.”
Tory Minister Gillian Keegan has trouble getting her head round food banks…
That might have something to do with her claiming £218,210,83 expenses in a year…
If you are on a teachers’ picket line this might put some warmth in your belly…
“Shadow Cabinet meeting”
That will be fun?
Who’s bringing a crate from Greggs?
The Tories really are Looney! No one sums them up like this, I was going to say Man! But he’s more like a monster.
We need a new conservative party.
Once again what are the real Conservative concerns here, disruption caused by those on strike or the desire for more votes? They deride Senedd members when their own party is not only refusing to negotiate with unions but is trying to bring out legislation to ban striking all together. The hypocricy is plain to see.
Solidarity