Strike if you want to, poll finds
There is huge public support for NHS staff including nurses to go on strike in response to a 1% pay rise the Royal College of Nursing has called “pitiful”. It thinks members should get 12.5% in reward for work that has seen them lauded as heroes.
A snap poll yesterday afternoon by Findoutnow.co.uk asked a nationally representative sample of 1,000 members of the UK public three questions:
1) If NHS staff went on strike in protest, to what degree would you support the action?
2) How much of a pay rise, as a percentage, do you think NHS workers should get this year?
3) Assuming the 1% pay rise goes ahead, which of the following one-off bonuses, if any, would you prefer NHS workers receive as a "Thank you" this year?
The results were published on the Mail Online today.
Some of the findings:
- On average the public suggest a pay rise of 7.3%
- Half of people (51%) think the rise should be between 2 and 5%
- 41% of Labour voters say the rise should exceed 5%, compared to 18% of Conservative voters.
- 12% of 18-24 year olds think the rise should exceed 20%, compared to 1% of over 65s
- Only 19% say the rise should be under 2%, and only 2.6% say they should get no rise at all.
- 78% support NHS workers taking strike action, 45% "Strongly".
- Twice as many Labour voters "Strongly" support strike action (65%), compared to Conservative voters (30%)
- Support for striking decreases with age from 84% of 18-24s, to 75% of over 65s.
- If the pay rise remains at 1%, 22% support a lump sum of £2k, and 20% a bonus of £1k.
- 13% think they should be given 2 weeks holiday, and 12% 1 week, if the 1% rise is not increased.
- Only 6% believe they shouldn't be further compensated on top of the 1% rise.
You can see the full results here:
If NHS staff went on strike in protest, to what degree would you support the action?
How much of a pay rise, as a percentage, do you think NHS workers should get this year?
Assuming the 1% pay rise goes ahead, which of the following one-off bonuses, if any, would you prefer NHS workers receive as a "Thank you" this year?
About the survey
The survey of 3,725 members of Pick My Postcode was conducted on Friday 5th of March. Find Out Now adjusted the results to get a nationally representative sub-sample of 1,000 within +/-1% of ONS quotas for Age, Gender, and Region, Soco-economic group, and past voting using machine learning.
