Since the establishment of Rishi Sunak’s government last fall, amid chaos, the prime minister and his ministers have been adamant that they will not raise the wages of striking workers.
At the end of 2022, Health Minister Steve Barclay proposed a compromise: NHS workers could receive a lump sum payment to cover this year’s living expenses until the usual pay increase at the beginning of the next fiscal year.
This was opposed by Prime Minister and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who felt it would undermine their firm position that the issue of this year’s wages should not be brought up again.
Suddenly this may change. On Monday, health workers unions suggested that one solution that could break the deadlock would be to roll back the proposed 2023-2024 wage increase by January 1, effectively offering a nice lump sum to cover wage arrears and a normal increase. for a monthly salary from April.
This is the first real bright spot in weeks of grueling negotiations. But it may be some time before Mr Barclay and his treasurers in Downing Street receive that olive branch, not least because they don’t like being seen going downstairs.
There is a serious threat to the government here. During the Boris Johnson years, ministers repeatedly tried to appear tough by sticking to a hard line; Only to fall behind a few days or weeks later, long after that, it could be filmed as a sign of welcome flexibility.
With free school meals, Covid restrictions, and routine health screenings, the former prime minister has been repeatedly forced into an awkward turn of events that seasoned observers could have predicted ahead of time.
Mr. Sunak and his chancellor present themselves as pragmatists. If they can soften their stance just a little bit to get nurses and ambulance drivers back to work, they can be redeemed.
But if they refuse to accept the inevitable and try to assert themselves before being nudged in a different direction later this year, they will fall into the same trap as Mr. Johnson.
Source: I News
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.