Is it harmless? Are there justifiable reasons for it? Does it matter? Should we on the picket lines take it personally?
No, no, yes and probably not but we do wouldn't make for much of a blog so I shall attempt to explain my reasoning.
Firstly, I have to just get this out there. There are some people who do not like me using the term scab for those who cross an official picket line. These people fall into two groups. The kind of bleeding heart who thinks that all the kids are winners at sports day... And scabs.
So, to the questions.
Is it harmless? No it bloody isn't. There are various reasons that a union will ask its members to take strike action. One of those is to show the employer the strength of feeling of the membership. This is totally undermined if members are crossing picket lines. These scabs have no idea what Union actually means. One member said to me 'I do support you but that doesn't mean I have to strike.' Well actually love, that's exactly what it means.
Are there justifiable reasons for it? Not as far as I'm concerned. I don't care how skint you are. I'm skint. We are all bloody skint, but especially where it comes to public sector pensions, it is a choice between a days pay this month or a days pay every month for the rest of my career, such as it is. It is a false economy to think that you can't afford to strike. You can't afford not to!
Does it matter? Yes it does. Every scab is a victory for the employer and weakens the negotiating position of the union. Every scab is a stab in the heart of every member who has given up a days pay for the good of solidarity and unity. Every scab who manages to look themselves in the mirror while reaping the benefits of union membership while contributing nothing makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. Every scab that won't look me in my face as they cross a picket line I have been manning since six am is a punch in the guts. Every time a scab drives at me, ignores me, spits at me, complains about me, shouts at me or worse, smiles at me as they cross a picket line, then regardless of how successful the strike was, a little bit inside me dies.
I think that covers the taking it personally bit.
So if you don't like me using the word scab, fuck you. Fuck you very much.
May I respectfully suggest that if you don't want to be called a scab that you DON'T FUCKING SCAB!!!
