The fact that up to 600,000 public sector workers are to strike next month highlights just why so-called union mandates to strike are generally nonsense, and why the rules for voting in the UK are in need of radical reform.
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis described the vote by 55% of the council worker members as "a solid vote for action". But just how solid is that?
As Brian Baldwin who chairs pay negotiations for Local Government Employers helpfully pointed out, a 55% vote for action on a turnout of just over 25% means that only 13% or so want to strike.
Hardly 'solid'.
But if you offset that figure against the 45% who voted against action - and this is the really important bit, people who went out of their way to say 'no' to the union proposition - which equates to about 12% rejecting strike action, the 'solid vote for action' suddenly slips to 1%
Hardly a ringing endorsement for all-out chaos in local government.
While it is right that - where properly representing the views of the majority - unions should have a say, it cannot be right that local government services are held to ransom by the whims of a truly miniscule section of the unison council worker membership.
And everyone knows that the first-past-the-post system used in general elections is patently rigged towards those in power or those with the most cash to splash on campaigning.
It's clearly time for electoral reform, be that compulsory voting (and with it a no-vote option) or proportional representation, or some other fairer system.
Sadly, the main opposition to any change would come from those in positions of power already, ie, the unions and the politicians.
What about a national vote on the voting system? Now there's an idea.
