Well done the public sector strikers, but that will probably be it now.

Unusually, the BBC is actually reporting on the public sector strikes today.  I say unusually because in recent times, the BBC has turned a blind eye to anyone who dares oppose the government's austerity policies and the savage cuts to wages, pensions and jobs they are bringing about.

Listening to Radio Five Live, it's obvious that the editors are striving for 'balance' so union members are always 'making demands' and ordinary listeners are being asked loaded questions to those affected by the strike.  ("How do you feel about the fact you've had to take a day off work to look after your child because the teachers are on strike?")

But I suppose any publicity is good publicity.

Nicky Campbell asked the best question this morning, inviting Francis Maude, the Cabinet Officer Minister, how austerity was affecting him.  Maude blustered about how the new government in 2010 had agreed to freeze MPs' wages when they were first elected so, and I am putting words into his mouth here, he will have to struggle by on a mere £66,396 every year, as well as having all his travel, meals and housing allowances paid on top.  The poor lad. 

Of course, Maude didn't add that he actually 'earns' almost £100,000 a year for being in the Cabinet and he is also a multimillionaire.   Austerity must be biting deep in the Maude household!

It isn't just this government which has shafted public sector workers.  In my lifetime, this was started by the Wilson/Callaghan Labour government in the 1970s, particularly by the Thatcher regime of the 1980s and continued by Blair and co from the late 1990s.  This government is just nastier still.

I've left the Civil Service after 39 years and I am glad I did.

My wages have been falling in real and actual terms for many years because of the massively increased pension contributions and because the overtime I used to use to top up my below national average salary stopped.

Colleagues have seen pay progression ended whilst jobs are slashed all round.  Work harder for less.

I definitely support those who are on strike today but I don't support the so called strategy.  We have been here before, we are here every year.

My old union, the PCS, is an abysmally run outfit, with huge pockets of non membership and an inefficient expensive system of operating through thousands of branches.  It is also run from top to bottom by the ultra left basket cases of the Socialist Party (AKA Militant tendency) and the other 57 varieties of Trotskyism.

Policy is formulated by an archaic conference in which the membership barely participate and decisions are top down, leadership led.

I have no doubt the current strike will have a lot of support but I don't see a strategy here beyond another one day strike next month, then another until the members get fed up and the union gives up.

The question really is what else could the unions do?

The genuine answer in terms of strike action is not a lot.

PCS was the only Civil Service union involved today, the others saw little merit in a strike for a strike's sake.

A strike is surely the last resort in any dispute and the question I had before today was, what's next?  Another one day strike, a two days strike, an all out indefinite unpaid strike, selective action?

There's no plan beyond a one day strike.

Public sector workers are in an impossible position because the Tories will not negotiate on pay, on pensions nor on job cuts. And since 2010, they have ploughed on with their vicious attack on us and ignored the strikes and campaigns the unions have run.

It's like this: I support everyone who lost a day's pay today but I suspect it will amount to nothing more than tokenism.  You've made your point but Cameron and co will carry on as if nothing has happened.  It's the summer soon. The timing of this strike is appalling.

The only hope is that the Tories will lose the 2015 election.  I don't see a Labour government as being one that can throw lots of money at public sector workers but they must stand on a platform of fairness.

If you can afford to take a financial hit with more strikes, then lucky you.  I suspect most people have nothing left to give, financially or emotionally, and this will be the last hoorah of strikes against austerity.

The ultra left in PCS believe it is better to have fought and lost than never to have lost at all.  As a campaign slogan, it's not exactly inspiring, but slogans are all they have offered us for years.