Rising public support for unions despite widespread strikes, Sky News poll suggests

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://news.sky.com/story/rising-publi ... s-12799325

An exclusive poll for Sky News will make for tough reading in Downing Street as the findings will damage ministers' hopes of waning public support for striking workers.

Support for trade unions is rising even though strike action is bringing public services to a standstill, Sky News polling shows.

Industrial relations are at their most fractious since the 1980s, with the country having lost more than a million working days to strikes last year.

Despite this, sympathy for striking public sector workers has risen over the past couple of months.

Exclusive polling commissioned by Sky News shows that the public increasingly think that trade unions play a positive role in society.

A survey of more than 2,000 adults found that 37% support unions, up from 35% in November.

A smaller proportion - 28% - said unions play a negative role in society, down from 34% in November.

The findings suggest that the government, which is refusing to deliver inflation-matched pay rises, may not be able to rely on waning support for strike action.


Support for unions has increased as the wave of strike action has spread from the transport and communication sectors to the NHS.

Ambulance workers, nurses and doctors have all either voted for or announced intentions to ballot for strike action since the last polling.


YouGov data shows that NHS workers elicit the strongest support from the public.

As many as 43% of respondents to the survey said they strongly support strike action by nurses, while another 22% said they somewhat support it.

Only 31% said they strongly or somewhat oppose industrial action from nurses.

Like many public sector workers, nurses have experienced a decade of real-term pay cuts.

When inflation is taken into account, nurses' pay fell by 7.76% between 2011 and 2020. The most recent pay deal, announced last summer, also lagged behind inflation.

It is a similar story across the public sector, with the pay gap between the public and private sector widening.

In the three months to October, average private sector pay growth, excluding bonuses, was running at 6.9%.

The figure for the public sector was just 2.7%. Meanwhile inflation was running at close to 11%.


The Sky News poll indicates robust support for industrial action but the public is uneasy about how readily unions can go on strike.

At a time when the government is pushing through legislation that will make it harder for unions to call strikes, 33% of respondents said that they were able to take action too easily and that more restrictions should be placed upon them.

This was down slightly from 34% in November.

By comparison, 22% of respondents said that unions should be given more freedom, up from 20% in November.

The YouGov/Sky News poll was carried out from 27-30 January, with 2,041 adults polled. The data is weighted to reflect the UK's population.

[post6675]

Public only really care about the nurses striking. If they were not striking support would be way down

[broughts]

The public don’t care about us striking more the nhs workers teachers etc not much for private sector workers

[Tman]

"37% support unions" is hardly a ringing endorsement, and it would be interesting to see how the poll questions were worded and who was asked for their opinion.

[Barnacle]

It comes as no surprise that support for unions is rising, given that so many vast employers are involved in strike action, that everyone knows someone who is involved in industrial action.

[Cedar_Room]

"37% support unions" is hardly a ringing endorsement, and it would be interesting to see how the poll questions were worded and who was asked for their opinion.

You’ll be calling Kay Burley a raving Leftie next

[Cedar_Room]

It comes as no surprise that support for unions is rising, given that so many vast employers are involved in strike action, that everyone knows someone who is involved in industrial action.

I have quite a large social circle & big family network. Majority of folk I know are on the side of the trade unions & don’t blame us/them for withdrawing our labour

I know a few rogue Tories of course who hate anyone who doesn’t kiss the boot,but they are minimal

[enskied]

The public don’t care about us striking more the nhs workers teachers etc not much for private sector workers

Loads more support since Simons performance at the select committee.

[CRIBMAD]

BREAKING: We have served notice on Royal Mail Group for a 24 hour strike commencing for all shifts starting after 12:30pm on Thursday 16th February.
We cannot and will not sit back as they destroy our members jobs.
#WeAreStillHere
ROYAL MAIL GROUP: CHANGE DISPUTE – STRIKE ACTION – 24-HOURS FROM 12.30PM THURSDAY 16TH FEBRUARY
We have today served the legal notice on RMG under the current Change ballot for a 24-hour strike action as follows:
The strike will cover all duties and scheduled attendance commencing between the period at or after 12:30pm on Thursday 16th February 2023 and before 12:30pm on Friday 17th February 2023.
The Postal Executive has called this strike action as a consequence of RMG’s ongoing and planned Executive Action in local offices across the UK, whereby the company are implementing Revisions and unagreed change, whilst refusing to negotiate locally or apply the terms of the IR Framework.
This is in direct contravention to the unequivocal commitment given by the CEO Simon Thompson, in a letter to the Union of 6th January, stating “the IR Framework will apply in full”. At that point, the CEO’s commitment was instrumental in the Union not calling further strike action up until 20th January, to enable intensive talks to continue in a more constructive environment.
In a further attempt to avoid Executive Action, the CWU presented RMG with a proposal for re-engagement in Revisions at local level, which met the company’s timescales and included a fast-track process to resolve any disagreements over savings targets. This was rejected by the company in their counter proposal.
In making the decision to call further strike action under our existing Change ballot, we wish to make clear that the Postal Executive concluded that RMG’s actions to remove the right of negotiation at local level, has wider implications than the current Revisions and change activity and must now be viewed as a significant step towards de-recognising the Union and the voice of our members in the workplace.
We must also take into account that the scale and severity of RMG’s Executive Action is increasing on a weekly basis and goes well beyond even their own guidelines. This is about RMG deliberately accelerating their plans to change members’ attendance patterns and start & finish times in Delivery, in advance of their proposal for significant network changes later this year. In Processing units, Executive Action on unagreed structural Revisions will impose unacceptable widespread change to duties, attendance patterns and earnings packages.
Given the gravity of the situation, including the company’s refusal to discuss this matter further in Acas talks, the CWU has no alternative but to defend the principle of our Union having the right to negotiate on all aspects of change at local level. This principle has been fundamental to how we represent and support our members throughout the history of our Union.
We have made it clear to RMG in writing that to avoid this strike action the CEO needs to honour the commitment he made to apply the terms of the IR Framework in full, including applying this retrospectively to all units that have had change imposed upon them.
The Union’s position remains that we want to negotiate an agreement and the best way of achieving this is to re-establish the IR Framework agreement so that joint re-engagement can take place locally, rather than managerial Executive Action, whilst national negotiations continue. However, unfortunately what we are faced with is the company continuing to act in bad faith, displaying a total lack of integrity in their conduct.
Finally, Branches must convey the content of this LTB to all workplaces and encourage members to join our CWU Live session scheduled for 6pm tomorrow. This will give us an opportunity to provide a full update on recent talks, and the need to do everything possible to maximise the turnout and Yes vote in the re-ballot.
Dave Ward
General Secretary
Andy Furey
Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

[CRIBMAD]

Thompson's select committee grilling will be 22nd Feb at 14.15 - i cannot wait to see him squirm !

[k979aaa]

Thompson's select committee grilling will be 22nd Feb at 14.15 - i cannot wait to see him squirm !

Well clearly his preparation was not great and his delivery was at best abject and his answers were at best vague if not a ruse.How can anyone who runs a business that has a dual service be allowed to be run by someone as inept and clueless as he was?