On Wednesday, 500,000 British workers walked off the job over pay, paralyzing transportation networks and leaving thousands of classrooms empty. It was the largest strike in almost a decade.
As Europe fights a cost-of-living crisis, Britain’s umbrella labor organization, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), described it as “the largest day of strike action since 2011.”
The new wave of stoppages came a day after more than 1.27 million French citizens marched to the streets, raising pressure on the French government about its pension reform proposals.
Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, has advocated for “reasonable” and “affordable” wage raises, stating that excessive pay increases will undermine efforts to curb inflation.
However, unions have accused the rich Sunak of being out of touch with the difficulties ordinary workers experience, such as poor wages, precarious employment, and spiraling costs.
Teachers and train drivers, as well as Border Force personnel at UK air and seaports, were among the most recent groups to act.
The NEU teaching union stated that 85 percent of schools in England and Wales were affected by walkouts, indicating the “level of anger” within the profession.
Nigel Adams, a 57-year-old London teacher, told AFP as he joined tens of thousands of teachers marching through central London, “The workload is always increasing and our pay is decreasing with inflation.”
“We’re worn out. We are paying the price, and so are the children,” he said as demonstrators held up signs that read “Pay Up” and “We can’t put your children first if you put their instructors last.”
“HIT IN THE FACE”
Tens of thousands of British workers, including postal workers, attorneys, nurses, and retail personnel, have been on strike for months as UK inflation soared beyond 11 percent, the highest level in more than four decades.
Graham, an employee of the job centre and union representative who declined to disclose his last name, stated that workers had no choice but to strike in the face of rising costs.
“Even though they are employed, some of our members must still visit food banks,” he remarked.
The train stations in the capital were either closed or vacant.
Inflation in the United Kingdom declines to 10.7% in November.
At the closed London Bridge Station, a key commuter hub, a 61-year-old train driver named Tony stated that the proposed salary raises were demeaning, especially in the wake of the pandemic.
“We labored throughout Covid. Then there was this slap in the face after we had been hailed as valued employees,” he remarked.
“I was leaving (home) for work around 3:00 a.m. People were barbecuing, as the sound of bottles could be heard. I believe we deserve a pay raise that matches inflation.”
Mick Lynch, a combative RMT union leader who represents many rail employees, told teachers who marched through London to parliament that “every worker needs a pay raise, every worker needs a fair deal… We are requesting a modification”
Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, co-presidents of the NEU teaching union, have warned that unless the government comes up with “concrete and meaningful proposals,” further school strikes would occur.
INFLATION is the “Greatest Threat”
However, government and business leaders are holding firm regarding salary demands.
Gillian Keegan, minister of education, told Times Radio that she was “disappointed” that teachers had walked out.
Mark Serwotka, the president of the main civil service union, PCS, stated that the government’s approach was “unsustainable.”
“It is not possible for them to sit back while this unprecedented level of industrial action continues to grow,” he told Sky News. “Today, there are half a million people participating in industrial action.”
“Next week, we will have paramedics, nurses, and then firefighters,” he warned, adding that unions were prepared to strike throughout the entire summer.
In response to a question on what Prime Minister Sunak was doing to settle the strikes, his official spokesman stated that inflation remained the “greatest threat” to pay packets and that the government was willing to engage in further negotiations with unions to prevent more strike action.
However, he stated that ministers must strike a balance between union demands and the need to curb inflation and be fair to all taxpayers.
NATIONWIDE RALLIES
According to the Office of National Statistics, 1.6 million working days were missed due to strikes from June to November of last year, the highest six-month total in more than three decades (ONS).
Additionally, Brazil’s jobless rate continues to drop to a seven-year low.
In November alone, 467,000 working days were missed due to strikes, the highest level since 2011, according to the ONS.
Alongside the strikes, unions held protests across the country in opposition to the Conservative government’s proposals to prohibit strike action in the public sector.
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