Ed Miliband is in the happiest position he has been for months. Both left and right are attacking him for stating the obvious. The unions or at least their leaders hate him for accepting effective public sector pay cuts. Unions are meant to represent their members, but they are making a debased utilitarian calculation in this instance. Pay cuts hurt all members a little, but job cuts hurt a few members a lot. The temptation for a union leader is to put the small interest of the many in maintaining their income above the urgent interest of the few in holding on to their jobs. It is an understandable seduction to fall for, but not an honourable one.
Nor is it likely to increase public support. The public will only rally to the public sector when it is defending services, not pay and pensions – and that means the unions must put jobs first.
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