09 February 2009

It's feline like the 70s

Hot on the heels of the spike in oil prices last year comes a worldwide recession - and if this summer brings us a heatwave, it will be just like the 1970s all over again. In keeping with this pattern, we have also witnessed our first outbreaks of wildcat strikes across the country, starting with oil refineries, and now spreading to Arriva trains in Wales.

This got me pondering why unofficial strikes are described as "wildcat" industrial action, and what that poor beast had done to deserve the association. According to Wikipedia, the Wildcat is extremely timid and avoids approaching human settlements, preferring to live alone - three characteristics that hardly seem synonymous with trades unions.

I guess it could be because both are now extremely rare. And often host to parasitic worms.

1 comment:

Phil Woodford said...

Are wildcat strikes organised by mad dogs?