Video: “No more nicely, nicely” – calls to picket States members’ houses

Thursday 07 July 2016

A small crowd of around 50 angry Islanders who attended a meeting called by Jersey political party Reform to discuss the controversial Medium Term Financial Plan have vowed to “take on” the Council of Ministers.

The plan outlines how States’ money should be spent over the next four years, and according to one union representative will result in more than 250 full-time States jobs being slashed if it’s implemented. It also proposes new health charges for Islands and waste charges for businesses, which are designed to help fill a major deficit looming in the public finances.

St Helier Deputy Sam Mezec told the audience at last night's Town Hall meeting that protests, like those over not building the new hospital on the People’s Park, have worked in the past, but are only successful if people turn out in force. He’s calling for a mass demonstration in the Royal Square when the plan is debated in late September.

The move was also backed by Unite union boss Mick Corbel, who told the audience numbers were on their side. In his words “there are more of us people than those who run the Island.” He’s particularly angry over plans to outsource jobs, and the use of zero contracts.

Another suggestion came from a union rep from Jersey Post. He suggested writing to every States members getting them to sign a form confirming they had read the 197-page plan, its 197-page annex, and two other associated attachments, and that they could summarise its recommendations on a sheet of A4 paper. He thinks they won't bother to do any reading and will “simply do as they are told, and vote like sheep."

There were also calls to bombard States’ members with emails and letters.

But some in the audience didn’t think these moves went far enough and called for an end to what they described as “nicely, nicely tactics."

They wanted far more militant action. One member urged others at the meeting to “take the fight to the States,” and asked for volunteers to join him on Saturday mornings to picket ministers’ houses: he suggested they sit in the road with placards outlining their demands. That way “they [States members] would be awakened from their ivory towers."