Throughout this week many of us are feeling the significant impact of strike action from the RMT Union. The impact will be felt throughout the country, by young people sitting their A-levels and GCSEs, by members of our Armed Forces and veterans who are due to attend celebrations for Armed Forces week, and all of us who rely on the trains and tubes to get to work or attend appointments.
During my first few years as an MP, the same unions were regularly on strike over procedures for closing doors on trains, causing years of misery for many commuters. Today, as then, I do not support strike action, but fully encourage negotiations, and I hope that the planned talks involve compromise on both sides. Strikes were far more commonplace when I started work in a car factory in 1984. Since then changes to working practices driven by increased automation, mobile technology, and the internet itself have meant most successful businesses and employees have had to adapt and embrace technological change. The role of unions has also changed and now just 23% of employees are members of a trade union, the lowest rate since records began.
As mentioned, it is Armed Forces week, so I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all those who serve and those who have served.
With war back on the continent of Europe after decades of peace, more of our brave men and women have been deployed overseas. In response to Russia’s invasion, we have sent personnel support to the Lithuanian intelligence resilience and reconnaissance service and doubled our deployment in Estonia. This includes soldiers from the 12th Regiment Royal Artillery, based at Thorney Island’s Baker Barracks, who are providing Close Support Air Defence to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in the Baltics.
We’ve also increased our air and sea power with six additional Typhoons deployed to Romania and UK warships, including HMS Trent (whose home port is HMNB Portsmouth), and HMS Diamond, which are working with NATO Allies in the Eastern Mediterranean.
On a separate note, we are looking for staff, based in Chichester, to help support people in need across our area. To find out more visit my website: www.gilliankeegan.com/jobs
