A Unison picket, 10.4.14, Hackney, photo Paul Mattsson

A Unison picket, 10.4.14, Hackney, photo Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Well over a hundred attended an enthusiastic rally for Jeremy Corbyn in Derby. But it was noticeable that one or two people were having a go, saying they would never support Labour. They were not Blairite or right wing, but were teaching assistants employed by the Labour controlled Derby council.

These members of Unison took strike action after new contracts were imposed on them on 1 June, cutting their wages by thousands of pounds a year. They see Labour imposing massive cuts to jobs and their terms and conditions.

There is a wave of enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn’s anti austerity programme reflected in the new members joining Labour and the supporting rallies. But a no cuts policy will be needed to overcome the legacy of Labour cuts in local government in the eyes of many workers on the receiving end of these attacks.

Charlie Taylor