Rise of the Bootlickers
Far too many working class people are against other working class people fighting for better working conditions and frankly- it stinks
Christmas is charging towards us at some speed. All across the country, people are counting down the days until they gather with family and friends over the festive period. In amongst all the looming seasonal greetings, there is still plenty of hatred being shown towards the tens of thousands of workers who are taking part in strike action on various days between now and the New Year.
An array of trade unions have either called their members on strike or have announced strike dates in what has been the biggest workers movements in recent history. The union which has arguably taken part in the most strike action this year is the RMT. led by general secretary Mick Lynch, the union has taken part in regular strike action since the summer. Following an increased pay offer from the RDG, the union called on members to reject it when brought to them on ballot.
This confirmed that a series of strike dates over Christmas and New Year will take place. The struggle to secure safer working conditions and a safer railway network for workers and passengers goes on, but yet there is still a seemingly huge amount of everyday people angry at railway workers for wanting this. Everyday, the Twitter admin of the RMT page replies to dozens of snide comments about how ‘rail workers get paid too much anyway’ and how it ;is an easy job’. Others decide to critique Mr Lynch for being paid too much, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his salary is decided and voted on by the RMT members.
This along with other acts of hatred towards working class people standing tall for a better life has all the hallmarks of one of the most detestable types of people- the bootlickers. The working class attacking the working class for wanting to secure better pay is one of the most bizarre, thankless stances anyone could take.
These are cut from the same cloth as the people who seemingly hate the idea of working class people enjoying life. Twitter comments in articles about how people are struggling financially are almost always filled with snide remarks wondering if the person in the article has given up any streaming subscriptions or gym memberships- as if working class people can’t have the very small luxuries in a world which constantly tries to grind them down.
The hatred towards the working classes is of course nothing new. The right wing press has a track record of vilifying union leaders and their members. One only has to go back to the 1984–85 miners’ strike and the negativity, bordering on fiction at times, from some papers again National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill. There was an attempt to turn the working class against each other because, if this method is executed successfully, it can distract the working class as a whole away from the fact they are being taken advantage of by those at the top.
Pitting normal hard working people against each other is a technique as old as time, and in 2022 with the surge in industrial action from unions we are seeing its inevitable return. Train workers, postal workers, nurses, and all other workers taking part in industrial action are doing so to improve their lives and those who use their services. The hate which is being whipped up by certain branches of the press is predictable but it will not demoralise them.
The hard work of trade unions helped to win the workers better conditions, shorter work days and created weekends. The struggle for workers rights is far from over, but supporting the current unions’ strike is a great way of helping us all in this fight.
