Editorial: Debate around strikes is utterly one sided

​​Thousands of teachers and lecturers are expected to strike today, their union leaders said.The action will close most schools and colleges. This will in turn cause chaos for working families, as they try to juggle work and childcare.

The walkouts are the latest in a chain of strikes, most of which are in the public sector, which became large in scale last year and are set to continue until well into this year. The various disputes are mostly related to pay, which has fallen behind inflation, but also relate to other matters such as staffing and resources.

One of the most disturbing aspects of all this action is the near total lack of debate about it. Even in England, and even in a wealthy global megacity such as London, the case against industrial action is rarely heard.

Ministers in a Conservative Party government seem frightened of seeming overly harsh or mean. If it is NHS strikes, they are afraid of being critical of key workers. If is school stikes, they don't want to be seen to be mean to teachers. If it is modestly paid groups or employees, they don't want to seem unkind to those who are modestly paid.

In NI, the lack of debate is almost total. This newspaper struggles to find anyone to say a word against the strikes.

And thus crucial matters