ITV Index 28th November 2011

 The latest ITV News Index published on 28th November 2011.

Date Published: 28 Nov 2011

Categories: Economy | Public and communities | Public Sector | UK

Description

 COMRES/ ITV NEWS POLL: MAJORITY OF PUBLIC SAY PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKES ‘UNLIKELY TO SUCCEED AND SO SHOULD NOT GO AHEAD’

The latest Index poll results, conducted by ComRes and to be broadcast on ITV News at Ten tonight, reveal that just more than a half of the public, 51%, think the public sector strikes are unlikely to succeed and so should not go ahead.  Interestingly some four in ten public sector workers (38%) agreed that the strikes are unlikely to succeed, while 50% of public sector workers disagree.

The same poll found that almost half the public, 47%, do not believe that public sector workers are right to strike, while 38% believe they are right to take that course of action.  Unsurprisingly, public sector workers are more likely than private sector workers to agree (60% to 34% respectively), although almost a third (29%) of public sector workers disagree.

The poll also suggests one reason why so many of the public do not back the strikes: 56% agreed that public sector workers “have to take their share of the economic pain which means accepting reductions in their pension provision”.  Fewer than a third (28%) disagree and 16% say they don’t know.

Wider economic sentiment revealed by the poll offers further context for public opposition to the strikes: more than half, 53%, do not expect the UK economy to grow over the coming year, rising to 64% among public sector workers.

Methodology: ComRes interviewed 2050 GB adults online between 25^th and 27^th November 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.  Full data tables available at www.comres.co.uk.