To be stressed out about pressure to strike

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

Without saying too much, my 'organisation' has announced strike action.

I really do not want to do it but feel awful at not. I wouldnt actually have to cross a picket line or anything (can simply work at home) but feel like I 'should' strike.

The strike is over our pensions. I understand the impact but feel that I can't worry about something now that will happen in probably 35 - 40 years time. I feel pretty lucky to even be able to afford to pay anything into a pension, let alone a company one. The returns are still better than other private pensions. However I understand why some are striking.

It is potentially two days strike. I cannot afford to lose that money. I am the main wage earner and just come off SMP. If I strike food will either be going on the credit card with no clear means of paying it off soon. There are more pressing issues such as redundancy, fuel costs, reductions in tax credits and so on looming. I feel like I need to worry about now rather than way in the future and do not have the 'luxury' that many well paid members of staff might have of not really noticing the loss of a days pay.

Would you strike? Have you gone on strike in the past? I am too 'young' (I wish ) to have really been in this situation before

Won't any of your possible redundancies be done using the redundancy matrix though?

Yes in theory!

You are a union member.

You will benefit if the union win this.

It's morally wrong for you not to strike. Have some solidarity ffs.

Peepapig.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STRIKE JUST BECAUSE YOUR UNION HAS VOTED TO.

DP and I are in the same union, many people we work with are couples and the last two day strike cost us all four days pay out of the family income. Whilst I believe that you should all stand together to support the weaker and unrepresented workers, basically those who can afford to strike/fight have a moral responsibility to do so on behalf of those who cannot. This also applies to a workplace where one person can afford to strike should do so on behalf of a colleague at the next desk who cannot.

There is a moral decision and a financial decision to be weighed against each other here. My colleagues and I have decided that we believe the pensions issue is worth fighting for, but we cannot afford a 2 day srike each. We have decided that we will strike on the first day and work on the second thus supporting our colleagues whilst still feeding the kids.

Is this an option for you?

Can I ask what is the point of belonging to the union, voting as to whether to strike or not and then ignoring your membership and the vote and not going along with the majority?

If everyone voted to strike and then everyone said oh dear I can't afford to strike so I will go into work - then everyone goes into work...what was the point of voting or paying membership?

Peppa if it will cause you serious financial hardship talk to your local branch about whether they have a hardship fund, ours is organising one.

Just a point, neither the employer nor the union care about you as an individual - both see you as a way of either increasing profits/productivity etc, or as added weight to the argument of the day.

Do what is right for you and your family - not anyone else.

I would strike. Pensions are important, for your benefit and for others. I expect you may already benefit from some aspects of your job that had to be fought for, possibly by strike action.

I would never stike, btw.

If you don't agree with the strike then go to work, giving up 2 days pay for a cause which you don't agree with is crazy particulary if times are hard anyway.

If you are in the union and they have voted for strike, you must either strike or leave the union. To cross the picket line (the theoretical one is no less important) is to go against everything you signed up for in joining, and would make you the worst kind of hypocrite.

As an individual you have no obligation to strike, as a union member you absolutely do.

If you don't want to strike leave your union and forfeit any rights that they win for you. Be on your own if you have any future grievances. You are morally wrongly to cherry pick just the good bits that suit you and give nothing back. Of course there has to be an element of self sacrifice but ask for help if you genuinely need it.

If it's the NUT they ask people who are in financial straits not to strike.

I do like the idea of agreeing to strike for one day.

The bit I don't understand though is why they would change their minds. Due to the nature of our work everyone will do the same amount of work just they will pay us less. Seems like they win not us

I think the issue is that this is coming on top of everything else. Those of you who work in the same field, you know what these are. But I / We feel like we are being hit from all angles at the moment, so what should just be a couple of days pay loss feels much more.

As a note - those who are calling me selfish / to get a backbone/ have some solidarity etc - I am not saying I am not going to strike. I am struggling with the financial versus moral angle made all the worse because we rely on my wage - so it is not just me going without a shopping trip or something, we will have to get into more debt. I am not just flippantly saying I want everyone else to suffer instead of me but I want the gains. However surely those not in the union will benefit from this too without having to strike or pay membership?

I understand the long term issues but have been more overwhelmed with the shorter term ones of redundancy. It does help to get a clearer explanation of the union though - I didnt quite understand it before all of this . I always saw it more as something you paid your membership for (and it is a couple of hundred pounds a year) and went to if you needed individual help. I don't understand how logically we can win this fight because I saw pensions as a benefit our employer gave us - and I understand their logic for wanting to reduce it

But anyway I now understand that you are either in the union or you are not. Doesn't help me now though.

Peppa just FYI the issue is not whether the pensions need reforming - union also agrees on that - the issue is the nature of the reforms and whether they have been agreed or consulted on, and the extent to which people will be disadvantaged by the new system - PM me if you want any more info on it - union is still seeking to avoid strike by consulting further on the issues, but employers are refusing.

YANBU strikes are just an excuse not to go to work

Popelle - not sure if that is tongue in cheek or not but I think I would be less frustrated if we would actually get the day off. However due to the nature of our work we will still have the same amount to do, just less pay

Thanks system

Pensions are part of your pay. They are cutting thousands off your pay. Weigh that up against the two days pay that you will lose for striking and you might find that one outweighs the other quite significantly.

Yes people are being made redundant and you are lucky to have a job etc, but that doesn't mean you have to roll over and be happy about being shafted just because the bankers fucked up the economy. Ask what their contribution to making up the deficit is.

Noble, I do realise that - and of course two days pay is less. But it is 2 days pay now at a time when we are really struggling (and I am being made redundant soon) compared to 40 years time.

I do understand and a lot better after this now, thank you. I guess what I am saying is the whole thing is very stressful at an already horrible stressful time.

But to have to put the food bills on the credit card at a time when the family is already struggling - I think that's very very hard, and that it would be unreasonable to blame anyone for not making that choice.

Thank you grendels for understanding . It wouldnt usually be this bad but I have literally just come off SMP and had to fork out huge childcare bills for 3 DC so there really is nothing spare.

I was a trade union activist for 12 years, including running a branch. It was a thankless task, managers and members all effectively hate you at times. If you are a member then you must strike or leave the union. I have become so disillusioned with my own union, UNISON that after 20 years as a member and activist I left.

The trouble with unions is as a national organisation they have ideals but at a local branch level they are only as good as the stewards. I left after the regional representative basically walked away from our branch and we lost our right to final salary pensions and also after having opted out of the political fund they sent me lots of vote Labour stuff through the post last year.

These are difficult times, I am considering joining again. Whatever you do please do not scab and cross a picket line.

There is something on the UNISON website (link below) which may explain more clearly what the government's plans are for public sector pensions. This may affect you slightly differently if you do not work in health or local government. UNISON are still considering their options atm. Your pensions are at risk

I would say do what is right for you.

The public sector is now going to feel the pain that the private sector has felt over recent years.

Our final salary scheme was closed 4 years ago, we got a 10% pay cut 2 years ago and a pay freeze since. Both times the union called a strike but it did not have a positive outcome, It was that or more redundancies. As in your case, the work still got done and there was minimal disruption.

The reality is defined benefit pensions are unaffordable and it is tough times out there. I think there are other ways in which unions can influence the outcome of negotiations without striking. It can often provoke the wrong response as no-one likes being pushed in a corner, especially the decision makers. Where do the union go after the strike if there is not a positive outcome - call another one? How many days pay will you loose before people start talking rather than having a stand off.

It is hard when you feel your benefits are being taken away but it's tough out there right now. If you could not leave your job and get one in the open market with similar benefits then chances are, there is a reason for the change.

All sympathy for you - it's a tough one. You need to make the right choice for your family, currently and in the future - maybe one day is the way to go? If you have a chance of getting a positive outcome then 2 days pay in the grand scheme of things may be worth sacrificing, I would definetly enquire about the hardship fund.

However, I would ask the question of the union, what happens if the strike is unsuccessful as it could be a period of stalemate or further strikes before a suitable outcome is reached and if you go in at the start you need to be in for the long haul

popserinis - that pretty much sums up how I feel. I fully realise pensions are important, what is being taken away, it is effectively our pay etc etc.

However they are also talking redundancies, pay cuts and we already have a pay freeze. To fight for pensions at this point (which already seem very generous to me but maybe I am wrong there) at a time where money is short seems confusing.

I will not cross a picket line but am anxious over how long it could go on