London.
The strikes in Great Britain continue. Now the government is enraging the unions with a new law. That’s behind it.
There are the warnings again. “I ask the public to be helpful again and to call us only when life and limb are at stake,” says Daniel Elkeles, head of the London ambulance. That means: Please don’t order the ambulance because of every trifle. Because on Wednesday (January 11), the rescue service was again greatly reduced: In almost all regions of Great Britain, employees went on strike – including paramedics and call center staff. A total of 20,000 employees of the emergency service are in the walkout – and this for the second time within a month.
Strike wave in Great Britain continues: teachers and nurses plan walkout
The British strike wave, which began last summer and reached its peak so far in December, does not seem to be coming to an end. Since the beginning of January, the railway employees of the RMT union and the members of the train drivers’ union ASLEF have been on strike for several days and paralyzed rail traffic. In addition, there were walkouts by the driving examiners and the London bus drivers.
Next week will be in Scotland the teachers are on strike. In England and Wales tens of thousands of nurses are on strike – they too for the second time since December. Meanwhile, teachers in England are in the process of consulting their members about a possible strike. Also interesting: Scotland is not allowed to vote again on its independence
In most cases it is about wage disputes: the employees demand one salary increasewhich takes into account runaway inflation of around 10 percent – but the government and employers say: we can’t afford it.
UK: Will the strikes bring higher wages?
However, things started moving for the first time earlier this week. Health Secretary Steve Barclay hinted that last year’s wages could be retrospectively increased – or that healthcare workers could alternatively be given a lump sum of money to help them through the cost-of-living crisis.
Previously, Barclay and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had always taken a tough stance and wage negotiations categorically excluded. The fact that they are now signaling a certain willingness to compromise is probably also due to the fact that health workers can continue to count on the broad support of the population – according to surveys, a clear majority of Britons support the nurses and paramedics. Also read: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – How his wife became a millionaire
But a little later, a load of cold water came. According to press reports, Treasury Secretary Jeremy Hunt obviously not at all keen on the idea of an improved pay package. Health Minister Barclay’s statement that any wage increase must be linked to “improved productivity” in the health sector also caused outrage. Unite union chief negotiator Onay Kasab called this a “ridiculous” proposal. “We’re not talking about a factory here. We’re talking about people who are already doing far more than their contract requires.” 18-hour work shifts are the order of the day, Kasab said.
New law could lead to confrontations with unions
On Tuesday, the government also made a move that is likely to lead to further confrontations with the unions: it introduced a bill in the House of Commons that would severely limit the effectiveness of walkouts. That strike law should stipulate that a certain number of employees must continue to work during strikes in critical sectors such as transport and health care.
The railways would be affected rescue service and the fire department. If minimum operation cannot be maintained, employees are threatened with dismissal. In other areas, such as education, the government hopes to reach a “reasonable and voluntary agreement” on such minimal basic operations. However, should this not succeed, the government could enforce a regulation by coercion. Also interesting: Why the great “Brexit hangover” is spreading in Great Britain
Anti-strike proposal: British government wants to ensure security
The government argues that the purpose of the bill is to keep the public safe. But the unions are indignant. Mick Lynch, general secretary of the transport union RMT, spoke on Tuesday of a “draconian law”. “This is an attack on our human and civil rights and we will resist in the courts, in Parliament and in our places of work.” Paul Nowak, the new general secretary of the TUC, called the bill “undemocratic, impracticable and almost certain illegal.”
Even with the opposition Anti Strike Template to fierce resistance. Alan Brown of the Scottish National Party said the proposed law is part of a “right-wing culture war”. Deputy Labor Party leader Angela Rayner called the bill “insulting and stupid.” Unions, meanwhile, are stepping up their campaign for better wages. They are considering a joint strike and action day where several unions in different sectors will walk down together to make a bigger impact.
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