Fire Strike: Public Opinion

Two thirds (67%) of the general public believe nurses deserve a pay rise compared with half (51%) who think fire fighters are deserving, according to a survey by the MORI Social Research Institute. The research -- commissioned by the ITV1 programme 'Tonight with Trevor McDonald' -- shows just over half of the public (56%) support fire fighters' campaign for a 40% pay rise compared with one in three (35%) who oppose it.

Two-thirds (65%) support strike action if fire fighters still respond to major emergency calls; three in 10 (29%) oppose it under these circumstances. Support for strike action (where emergency calls are answered) is greater than support for the campaign -- which suggests that the public support the campaign in principle, but not necessarily the level of pay rise. This finding may be explained by the fact that the majority of the public (86%) believe that a 40% pay rise would encourage other public sector workers to demand similar pay rises.

Support for strike action drops considerably if fire fighters do not respond to emergency calls -- one in five (19%) support fire fighters taking industrial action compared with three-quarters (74%) who oppose it. This demonstrates that public concerns over safety override their support for a strike of fire fighters. This is borne out by other findings of the survey. The balance of opinion shows that support for strike action among the public remains (albeit not very strong) if it means the closure of sporting events or cinemas and theatres. However, if it means the closure of 'essential' services such as power stations, schools and railway and tube stations, a majority are opposed.

Those aged 55+ years are far less supportive of the strike than younger age groups. Nine in 10 of the public (92%) believe that should there be a strike, the army should be brought into cover for fire fighters. Two-thirds (66%) say they have confidence in the army to cover for fire fighters, but three in 10 (31%) do not.

Technical details

• MORI interviewed 600 adults aged 18+
• Interviews were conducted by telephone on 23 October 2002
• Results are based on all respondents unless otherwise stated
• Data are weighted to the known population profile
• An '*' indicates a finding of less than 0.5%, but greater than zero
• Where percentages do not add up to exactly 100% this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of "don't knows" or to multiple answers
• Poll conducted by MORI on behalf of Tonight with Trevor McDonald

Q1 I am going to read out a number of different types of public service workers. Which two of the following, if any, do you think most deserve a pay rise?

Q2 As you may know, fire fighters are currently campaigning for a 40% pay rise to bring the salary for a fully-qualified fire fighter to 16330,000 a year before tax. Do you support or oppose their campaign?

Q3 As part of their campaign fire fighters are currently planning to go on strike. If they go on strike, would you support or oppose the strike if they still responded to major emergency calls?

Q4 And would you support or oppose the strike if they did not respond to major emergency calls?

Q5 And would you support or oppose the strike by fire fighters if it meant the closure of cinemas and theatres for safety reasons?

Q6 And would you support or oppose the strike by fire fighters if it meant the closure of sporting events for safety reasons?

Q7 And would you support or oppose the strike by fire fighters if it meant the closure of power stations for safety reasons?

Q8 And would you support or oppose the strike by fire fighters if it meant the closure of railway and tube stations for safety reasons?

Q8 And would you support or oppose the strike by fire fighters if it meant the closure of schools for safety reasons?

Q10 Do you agree or disagree that a 40% pay rise for fire fighters would encourage other public sector workers to demand similar pay rises?

Q11 If there is a strike by fire fighters, should the army be brought in to cover for them or not?

Q12 And how much confidence, if any, do you have in the army to cover for fire fighters?