As a community psychiatric nurse living in Swindon, Paul Gore proudly states that today he is “striking for the first time ever.”
Mr Gore says that his wife also works in the NHS as a district nurse, but she will be working as she is a member of the Royal College of Nursing, which has not balloted for strike action.
“She is in support of the industrial action and a lot of her district nurse colleagues are also in support of the strike action but will also be working,” he explains, but “they are avoiding all sites that have pickets as they do not want the government and press to think that they don’t agree with the strike action.”
Mr Gore has also been struck by the pressure to work that his social work colleagues have come under at the social enterprise organisation SEQUEL.
Mr Gore comments: “Most of this pressure has been emotional pressure and they have been told clearly how much SEQUEL believe the strike will cost the organisation. I think this has caused staff to have extra worry about the safety of their jobs.”
Paul adds: “I think more work needs to be done to get across the message that our pension scheme is cash rich and will be for years to come. Also that at present £2 billion pound a year goes into the government Treasury each year over the amount it costs to pay the pensions.
“Also that none of the increased pensions we are being asked to pay will go toward our pensions. I think it needs repeating again and again like a mantra.”
