This is a short post to express my solidarity with the estimated 2 million public sector workers who are taking strike action in the UK today.
I’m writing this because I feel that the strikes will be more effective if people like myself, who are not in the public sector, add their voices to the action.
I don’t take this position out of any ideological conviction. I simply support the people in the public sector because the people in the public sector have supported me. They are hardworking people who know their own circumstances better than I do, and if they have voted for strike action, then I trust them to know that that is their best option.
The public sector includes the state school teachers who taught me & who teach my children. It includes the librarians who regularly host my community events and who promote reading in cities throughout the UK. It includes the NHS doctors and nurses who recently saved the lives of my sister-in-law and niece. It includes a lot of other extremely hard-working people who keep me safe and take away my mess and generally give me the space and time to write novels and blog posts.
They are the best of our society and it breaks my heart to see them taking the brunt of this government’s budget cuts. I quite understand that we live in straitened times. Nor am I convinced that punishing the rich would magically make everything okay. What I am certain of, however, is that there are many budgets that should be cut – not least our seemingly infinite budget for procuring arms and prosecuting foreign wars – before we start cutting basic public services.
The public sector is the trunk of the tree. It enables all the rest of us monkeys to do our stuff in the branches. If you are a public sector worker out on the picket lines today, then you are doing it on behalf of all of us. Thank you for your work and thank you for your voice.
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Thank you Chris, the strike has caused dissension within our family and it is reassuring to hear from someone outside stating the case for public service workers. Many thanks, it lifted my heart this morning.
I admire people who speak out for others. As a retired teacher/librarian I sympathize with all in the education system, many of whom would have difficulty with strike actions, but act as one when necessary. Thank you Chris for your outspoken support.
I came to your website having just finished Incendiary (I read The Other Hand last month). Both books are compelling, moving, unsettling and beautifully written. I could hardly put them down. I haven’t read Little Bee yet but I will and I’m looking forward to Gold. Please keep writing…
I like your November 30 post – I’m a public sector worker who was on strike that day. It’s good to know not everyone sees us as the enemy and realises much of what we do is essential.
I thought Little Bee must be a prequel or sequel to The Other Hand – I didn’t realise it was the same book but published in USA!