To think that nurses who choose to strike over pensions will not get any sympathy from the general public??

[McQueasy]

Unison have voted to strike on the 30th, this means that nurses within that union have the choice to participate. As a result of this the NHS may have to operate as an 'emergency only' service for the day. Cancelling routine work, clinics, operations etc.

The governments pension proposals are ridiculous, in essence the average worker will pay between £50-£200 a month more towards their pension in what is realistically a levy. They will not see a penny of that when they retire (if they ever are allowed to retire as the age or retirement gets pushed back and back)

However, as operations, clinics and routine work is cancelled in an already stretched system, I cant help but think that public sympathy for this strike will be minimal.

yabu.

I might have less sympathy for a high-paid consultant but the nurses work hard and take a lot of shit for not much money.

No doubt helped along with a lot of anti-public sector bashing in the Daily Mail.

or teachers for that matter??

The public sector workers make up a large proportion of the workforce. As we are tax paying members of the public too then I expect there will be some sympathy. The measures do not create extra money for the pension scheme, they generate money for the treasury to help pay the deficit.
The current scheme currently creates an excess of £2bn a year for the treasury.
The media reporting of the issue however is likely to reduce public sympathy.

I think they will get a lot more sympathy than the teachers did.

no. they won't get any sympathy because nurses are supposed to be angels who do as they are told and don't complain about anything ever. can't win.

I will support them wholeheartedly. I don't mind putting up with a bit (or a lot) of inconvenience on the day. As the govt is so fond of saying, we are all in this together. So solidarity is called for.

Thats right atyourcervix, Im an "angel" with a "vocation", never mind the fact I have bills to pay on earth.

They have my 100% support but as I'm a gold-plated leech on society myself I guess it doesn't count for much.

I think the problem will definitely be the interpretation of why they are striking.

Personally when I first hear the proposal I thought who would really mind paying more money into a pension. Surely you will see the benefit when you retire. Not with this, by any other name it is a tax. Extra money with absolutely no reward at the other side. Totally disgusting.

Not sure everyone will see that though

Its a real shame the RCN have been so slow off the mark with this. Totally dividing the profession unnecessarily

YABU - they will get support from me. As will teachers.

Paying more, for less and working longer. Of course they will get my sympathy. And admiration.

It would make a big difference if the Labour party would come out and speak supportively of strikers. The impression I have is that there is lots and lots of inchoate sympathy that just doesn't get framed by the Labour party into focused support. They need to be out there pushing a constructive narrative of striking. So often they let the right get away with setting the narrative.

They'll have my support.

They will have my support as well.

Yabu, nurses never strike but why should they put up with the shitty end of the stick just because they are in a vocational job. Nurses don't take striking lightly and are more aware than most the difficulties this will cause within the NHS but they work harder than most within the organisation, jobs are being cut staffing is at dangerous levels they are personally accountable for poor care despite the dangerous levels and yet the pay is crap.

Good luck to them!

it's not just nurses and teachers
it's bin men, library workers (libraries being given over to volunteers or closed), council workers, all those being shafted by cuts, all those community spaces being shut by the governemnt - children and surestart centres for example, redunacies left right and centre

they;ll have my support

The whole lot have my support

They have my sympathy.

YANBU. In times like these everyone has to take some of the cuts. The rest of us do.

In theory, they have my support and my sympathy.

But I can't honestly say that I would say the same if one of my family members was scheduled to have an operation on that day had to be cancelled and rebooked for a date a month later after they had already arranged their lives around that date, was already nervous and wanting it over with as soon as possible, and was going to have to risk their health deteriorating further while they wait even longer.

Out of the person who has to pay more towards their pension and the person who has to endure an operation, my sympathy lies far more with the latter.

I hate having to say it because it comes across as unsupportive to people who do a brilliant job in difficult circumstances who absolutely deserve to be treated better. But when they strike knowing the affect it can have on people's health and people's lives, I think it is quite selfish.

Towndon please elaborate, what cuts have you had to make?

It's not selfish, its one day planned over 6 weeks in advance to protect a contract, terms & conditions that we signed up for that has been effectively ripped up. One day to protect staff for the next 40 years and beyond.

Do you really want people in their late 60's who have worked in a physical job since they were 20 to care for you when you are ill.

I work for the NHS in a very physical role. There is no way I will be able to do this job in my mid 60's.
This will lead to many being retired early as unable to do their jobs with large reductions in their pension per year they retire earlier. Another saving, how convenient.

They have my full support