ITV News Cuts Index

A ComRes/ ITV News poll on the public sector strikes has found that the British public is negative about both the prospects of success and reveals a warning to strikers that they will win little sympathy for strike action in the present financial climate.

More than half of the population (54%) say that the public sector strikes ultimately stand no chance of succeeding in changing government policy on spending cuts, and a further 63% warn that ‘public sector workers won't win much sympathy for strike action because everyone has to shoulder the burden of cuts.  Just one in five (20%) do not agree.

The lack of sympathy for industrial action is further reinforced by the fact that only 34% disagree that the public sector ‘is too large and the Government is right to cut it back’.

Finally, more people agree (44%) than disagree (34%) that ‘different groups of public sector workers should not be permitted deliberately to coordinate the timing of strike action’.

The findings of this poll will be broadcast on ITV News at Ten on Tuesday 21st.

ComRes interviewed 2003 GB adults online between 17th and 19th June 2011. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults.  ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.