It's the logistics and scale of what they have to do with the numbers they have been given to do it with.
All comes down to budgets and things, but I have always been a proponent of the three essentials of life which should not incur financial restraints: education, health and law and order.
But hey, no place for the old-fashioned clan in this hip new governmental landscape.
I have been on strike twice in my 47 years of employment since wandering out the school gate one afternoon at the age of 16 and deciding not to go back.
One occasion was unfortunate, for the workers within the company I was with weren't keen to take action as we were, essentially, pretty happy with the way things were and had a management crew who did look after us pretty well.
It was the lads from a couple of the other companies which came under the umbrella of the union we were hooked into who wanted to take action "to teach the bosses a lesson".
So we of the "leave things alone" side were just outvoted by the blokes who had axes to grind ... despite the fact I doubt some of them even knew what an axe was, or even how to spell the word.
So then, two days sitting at home wondering how we were going to sort the grocery bill that week as the mortgage was due in a couple of days.
And the overall result?
Nothing.
Nothing changed.
But those were different times and issues were a lot less complex than those the professionals of teaching and nursing are having to weave through today.
The only other strike was later in my working life and lasted a week.
That sort of income loss can hurt but the timing of the action was remarkable ... they called us off the job for every week I had applied to take leave on five weeks earlier.
So I got paid ... although I didn't want to say anything at the time.
And given the union actually gave some modest "helping hand" payouts to all members, I actually made more than I normally would have in a 40-hour week.
Of course I gave it back ... I think.
There have been a lot of strikes and assorted slices of industrial action over recent months, which is a fairly general sign that all is not swimmingly calm across the workforce.
Basically, the wages in this land are too low and the prices are too high.
There you are you folks of finance, that's the guts of it so let's sort it huh?
And stop giving money away to people who either don't need it or aren't attempting in any way to earn it.
Vote for me, I'll sort this place out.
As it is the striking season I wonder who will be next.
Maybe the Members of Parliament will have a crack at it.
"All those in favour of a day off and half-price drinks at Bellamys say aye."
The noise of the "ayes" would leave the microphones in the house humming for days.
Maybe those in the tobacco industry will stub their jobs out for a day - they could call it the Lucky Strike (groan).
Or maybe Sport New Zealand's softball administrators could make a stand ... twice.
Then they could call the second bout of industrial action strike two (can we have another groan here please?)
Maybe the power company crews could switch things off for a couple of days of industrial action ... to which the management crew would almost certainly respond with a gasp of "strike a light".
Okay, we'll leave that path alone for now.
Aah, there is indeed unrest out there across the workplaces of the land and they need to be identified and addressed, which of course is easier said than done.
I think what this land needs is someone to stand up and create a new political party.
The Compromise Party.
And print lots more money and give it to people who earn it but don't actually get it.
Right, that's all sorted.
Now for world peace.
