The public sector’s current attempt to bring the UK to a standstill will do little good for it in the long run and will have a serious detrimental impact on businesses, particular smaller enterprises.
An economic revival is starting to emerge, but the green shoots of recovery are still very fragile and the strikes could put paid to this commercial renaissance.
About 750,000 teachers, civil servants and other public sector employees are due to strike on June 30 and there are fears this action could escalate in the weeks ahead.
Industrial action disrupts businesses, hampers the public and is bad news for the economy.
One of the biggest headaches for those running a small business will be working parents who are forced to take time off to look after children who would normally be at school.
Many small companies are battling to stay afloat during current tough economic times. Strikes that affect employees’ ability to turn up for work are something they could well do without.
And to rub salt further into the wound, those taking industrial action are fighting for rights over pensions, retirement ages and salary increases that those working in the private sector can only dream about.
Many private sector workers do not have gold-plated guaranteed pensions, will have to work beyond the age of 60 and have agreed to wages freezes as they realise that this is necessary to help their employer remain financially viable.
The public sector must wake up to the real world and realise that if the country is not to collapse under a burden of debt, its workers must accept their remuneration packages need change to mirror those in private sector.
