(1) The unions risk losing public sympathy if they overestimate support for strike action that disrupts essential public services like health, education, and transport. (2) Union membership has declined significantly over the past 40 years to just 25% of the UK workforce currently, with only 16% membership in the private sector compared to 56% in the public sector. (3) If unions fail to compromise on government cuts to public spending and services, it will further damage their standing with the public and make it easier for the government to pass laws limiting union protections, accelerating the decline of the union movement.