Like everything its how you sell it. There is alot of hardship both in the public and the private sector. Dont get me wrong there are a lot of wasters too in the public sector.



I'm striking for the following:



My Terms and Conditions.

My fellow colleagues, some on low wages.

The fact I'm a TU Official too.

A one day or two day strike will achieve absolutely nothing.



It saves management a few bob on payroll, work gets caught up just means everyone else has to work a bit harder. Gets a bit of headlines for a day or so but people soon forget about it.



If you're going to strike, strike for 6 weeks that will make the government feel some consequences.



A one or two day strike is pointless. Basically it's saying "we surrender to the government but want to make a token gesture to show we're annoyed". I'm sure the Conservative government will take this token gesture very seriously and will start thinking about changing its policy LOL.

Oh I dont know there is talk of the con dem govt coming back with yet another offer,and this is not just a one off day of action either it will continue

It probably depends where you are. Are your Terms and Conditions under threat? Apart from the pension scheme there doesn't seem to be much threat on the horizon here. I may have greater sympathy with the strike were that not the case.



The trouble with the strikes where I work, is that my employer is pretty good really, and my Ts and Cs are better than a lot of places. Even with proposed changes my pension is still a good enough deal to make friends in the private sector jealous.



I'm in favour of the right to strike, and I would no doubt feel diffrentyl about this one if my colleagues were suffering, or threatened with suffering. But they're not and some of them in the department I'm in now would do well to venture outside the institution they work in and smell the real world, because they're a lot better off than they think.



Other sectors are no doubt not so lucky.

^ This is just a pensions dispute, which I see as T&Cs.



if we as employees take no action then we might as wll roll over and have our bellies tickled.



The reason for a one day strike is simple, it gets noticed all Public sector unions are involved.

An all out strike / selective strike will then be on the agenda. LionArmour 87 is correct, there will be an offer on the table after the strike ( If Sucessful) as the Government ( Erice Pickles) doesn't want egg on his face. He more than likely wants to eat the egg

Don't worry shag, you won't. I am sure this Christmas will spent like all your others, alone, in front of the telly, swigging from a cider bottle yelling obscenities at the Queen's speech.

The rights and wrongs have been debated and voted on by the members going on strike, a legal democratic vote and if they took part in the vote they follow its outcome. I have and never will cross a picket line and its not because I am a left wing militant, its because a group of workers have a problem and they feel the only way is to withdraw their labour. No trade unionist takes that decision lightly these days and the right wing press have been feeding lies to us for months and trying to split the trade union movement. To many lies and falsehood around the day of action as some unions are taking part but not striking like the FBU.



I do not a problem with some one who not only does not go out on strike because he is not a member of a union, I know a few people who follow a similar path



I do have a problem with some who does overtime covering work that he does not normally do and seeks to line his own pockets at the expense of others.



I bet if there is a change and the unions force a change I bet he takes the rewards as he does from the deal the unions have fought for him thus far ............

Who pays your wages when you are doing union work, which I assume will be the majority of the time - your employer or the union?



Perhaps if the union heirachy were also suffering a day with no pay then I would have more respect - it is easy to send the troops over the top when there is no chance of the bullets hitting you!!

Most of, if not all unions cease paying union leaders for any days of action there union is involved in ...........

The action is a democratic vote and I'll be deducted a days pay for the strike. Please be assured I'm no lemming eiter.



Yes my employer pays my wage whilst carrying out approved union duties, its called an agreement. What I'll also say is that I've sorted out a lot of problems in my time and whilst not saving my employer every penny its cost them in the long run I'd see its a good deal for the employer.

I wouldn't generally criticise the "staff union rep" level of the union hierarchy. In general (there are always individiuals who are tools whatever group you look at) they tend to have their colleagues' interests at heart and be decent, honest people in my experience. It is the people higher up the food chain with grand ideas and inflated egos that have put me off unions.



There is often a conflict of interest arising in which certain union leaders appear to have more to gain from leading strike action than they have from reaching a settlement. Maybe I'm just too cynical.

If there is any change, such as an improved offer, then yes, I will gladly reap the rewards. But then any trade unionist who believes in pay equality would agree with me, wouldn't they?



And if I do end up working overtime this weekend in order to effectively cover for striking union members next Wednesday, then I'll agree with you on that one also. I am lining my own pockets. But surely that's what trade unionists and striking members are doing, fighting for a few extra quid? Don't try and tell me that people will be walking out of work due to a sense of brotherhood and altruism? No, they're wanting to keep their snouts in the trough.



People may call it a betrayal, but the only people I have to answer to are my family.