If unions were our allies, they allready would support an Uncondidional Bais Income. They do not! In Germany we have smaler sections of the Union for the public sector fighting for it – but they don’t get a chance to overcome the resistance within their own folks. So that’s about it.
I would love to wellcome all the unions. But if I cannot, because they reject even considering this progressive idea of a BIG – well … – I will not stop just to make it comfortable for them ….
In history redesigning a holiday have happened always and replaced a feast by something else – see Easter (Spring-Celebration), Christmas (Winter-Solstice) and so on.
Also I don’t consider the BIG only “combating poverty, social exclusion and economic inequality” – I consider BIG a HUMAN RIGHT. I demand human dignity and the realisation of real freedom and real democracy. To get rid of poverty is just a wellcome sideeffect.
We need to understand:
there was never a fight for labour – or “work” – it always was a fight for income!
[as we wrongly use that word as it is the “biggest stupidity of the 21st century” (Guy Standing)].
And no – it is not the saying part, it is the listening part. I can clearly state that I always communicate the need of rethinking “work” (now used as in averything that can be done by any human being) – and also that unions will not be obsolete once we have a BIG, because we still will need organized forces to propose good working conditions.
But – as always with human beings – those who are active in unions have their own strategy in mind – like minimum wages. Minimum wages are great as long as we don’t have a BIG implemented – after that it not only will be useless, but also hindering.
Fact is – and we need to face this reality – we are interfering with union’s strategies (at least as long as both groups don’t find a way to build up solidarity – which is not a one-way road).
Rushing-ahead-obedience is not a strategy that will help anyone – if unions are the natural allies – well, then, let them come; I am waiting for a long time and urgendtly expecting those who “happily support” us
– but I will not crawl before some “potential” ally.
This article was first published on basicincome.org http://www.basicincome.org/news/2015/05/basic-income-day-is-a-great-idea-but-not-on-may-day/#comment-16091
About Felix Coeln
Felix Coeln is for around 30 years civically engaged, for example, in the emancipation work, namesake of Schulz (Sch-wulen u nd L-Esben Z Entrum, Cologne 1985 – 2003). Since 2005 Basic Income activist. Since 2010 board member of the Cologne Initiative basic income e. V., in Europe with presentations, among others for BGE go.