Because the public vote them in based on what they say they intend to do. Voters are their boss. where Twinfan says that the "public sector are the boss" he is wrong. The PUBLIC are the public sector's boss.
If I've employed someone to do a job that I don't myself understand, I'll let them get on with it.
We "USED" to have that AND political choice when we had a world leading Civil Service!
Sadly the Civil Service has been politicised and the major parties have merged values = No choice and a civil service that is no longer fit for purpose.
Like it or not, we once ran India with fewer administrators than we currently employ for a single NHS hospital.
The system has become old fat and bloated with public sector jobs, many of which were located in certain British regions for political ends.
If you hit these people you now crush entire communities.
Thatcher may have sold houses to create Tory votes but New Labour located Gov't jobs to do the same.
Allowing either imbalance to develop was immoral.
I support the strike because of fairness & the primacy of a contract. I also challenge the "State" and many who work for it (the very same public sector empolyees) because it is diseased.