As various posters have pointed out, a vote in the most recent ballot of 56.3% of all ballot papers issued is a substantial and clear vote for a strike.
However the strength of the YES vote is diminishing.
The high tide was the invalid 2009 ballot.
_ When two months later a valid ballot was conducted, the YES vote was approximately 2,000 less - but in the period between the two votes the membership of Unite had shrunk by about 1,100.
_ So approximately 900 YES voters had changed their opinion.
Comparing the two valid strike ballots, the YES vote decreased by 1,731 - but the Unite membership shrunk by 1,471.
I would be the first to agree that the disappearance of 260 YES votes is a drop in the ocean.
_ Nevertheless a professionally verified ballot brings real numbers into decision making.
_ Unite must be now be looking at falling membership, a thinning of the ranks of hard-liners, plus a viable Mixed Fleet which as yet has no union representation.
_ Certainly Unite must represent the views of its members - but a ballot enables the members to respond directly.
_ Unite will have some interest in the situation beyond the short-term.
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