On Wednesday, about half a million workers are due to take part in the biggest strike in the UK in a decade, including teachers, transport workers and border guards, demanding higher wages.
The closure or cancellation of classes in universities, primary and secondary schools is expected. However, it is to be expected that several schools are open to some students, especially those who are about to take their high school exams.
For the National Education Union (NEU), the main teachers’ union, this is the first of seven days of strikes that have been called, affecting some 23,000 schools across the country in England and Wales, with the rest of the strike days to be concentrated in certain regions.
The NEU rejected a 5% increase proposed by the British executive, demanding that the value exceed the inflation rate, which slowed to 10.5% in December but remains at one of its highest levels in 40 years.
About 100,000 civil servants from the ministries of health, environment and economy are also expected to join the protest.
The stoppage should also be felt in the transport sector, namely in trains and buses, which started the workers’ protests last year and will continue on Thursday and Friday, as well as in various sectors of the civil service.
The British government has already warned passengers about longer waiting times at passport control at airports and seaports, despite the mobilization of the military, other civil servants and volunteers to minimize possible delays.
More strikes by nurses and ambulance crews are scheduled next week, and firefighters are set to set dates for their first strikes in the profession in 20 years.
On Tuesday, Conservative British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reiterated that higher salaries for civil servants would lead to higher taxes, which he wants to avoid in the wake of the rising cost of living crisis.
“Nothing would give me more pleasure than wave a magic wand,” Rishi Sunak told reporters during a visit to the hospital, arguing that there are “a lot of things to consider and it’s not an easy job.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Conservative Party broadly approved legislation aimed at limiting labor disputes in some services deemed vital, such as ambulances, firefighters and trains, by requiring a minimum number of services.
The minimum level of service will be determined by the government, and if unions do not comply with it, they can be held accountable and punished, and workers fired.
Legislation has not yet been implemented to reduce the impact of the next strikes, but it still needs to pass through the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament, which is expected to take several months.
The unions are challenging the law, which they have called “against the strike,” and the Labor Party, now the main opposition force, has vowed to repeal the law if it comes to power.
Despite disruptions to utilities and the economy, strikes and shutdowns in various industries continue to enjoy strong popular support, according to several polls.
A poll published by Public First showed that 59% of respondents support strikes by nurses, teachers (43%), postal workers (41%) and railway workers (36%).
British broadcaster Sky News also released a study in which 37% of respondents expressed support for unions, up from 35% in November, and 28% were against, less than 34% two months ago.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.