Britons urged to avoid risky activity as paramedics join strikes. How did things get so bad?
2 years ago

Britons urged to avoid risky activity as paramedics join strikes. How did things get so bad?

CNN  

London CNN — Another day, another round of strikes in Britain. And Britain’s public sector workers in particular are bearing the brunt; average pay growth in the private sector was 6.9% in the middle of 2022, compared to 2.7% for the public sector – the ONS said this gulf is “among the largest differences between the private sector and public sector growth rates we have seen.” Still, for many striking workers, anger can be traced back further than the current economic crises. Since former Prime Minister David Cameron’s austerity program saw budgets for public services slashed, employees have complained of a decline in many of Britain’s local agencies and institutional safety nets. More recently, instability at the heart of government – Britain is on its fifth Prime Minister in six years – and a disastrous financial program unveiled by shambolic ex-PM Liz Truss have dashed many Brits’ hopes that the public sector will get a boost in the near future. That period followed bitter pay disputes between the government and both the public and private sector; following her 1979 election victory, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher waged a largely victorious battle with many of Britain’s unions, severely diminishing their power.

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History of this topic

Thousands of workers march across Italy in general strike demanding better pay and services
Trending News
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Thousands of workers march across Italy in general strike demanding better pay and services

Associated Press  

MILAN — Thousands of teachers, health care workers, trash collectors and others walked off their jobs across Italy on Friday to protest a decline in spending power, persistently low salaries and government policies they say have weakened public services. Italy’s most powerful trade unions called the eight-hour strike and mobilized marches in cities across the country to target Premier Giorgia …

Thousands of workers march across Italy in general strike demanding better pay and services
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Thousands of workers march across Italy in general strike demanding better pay and services

New Indian Express  

MILAN: Thousands of teachers, health care workers, trash collectors and others walked off their jobs across Italy on Friday to protest a decline in spending power, persistently low salaries and government policies they say have weakened public services. Italy's most powerful trade unions called the eight-hour strike and mobilized marches in cities across the country to target Premier Giorgia Meloni's …

Public sector strikes threaten to spiral out of control
4 months, 1 week ago

Public sector strikes threaten to spiral out of control

The Telegraph  

Public sector strikes threatened to spiral out of control after train drivers and border guards announced new walkouts on Friday. Aslef announced the strike just 48 hours after securing an almost 15 per cent pay rise for drivers, spread across three years, to end a separate dispute. Earlier this month, Sir Keir Starmer’s Government also gave a 22 per cent …

UK government offers millions of public sector workers pay hikes to end strikes
1 year, 5 months ago

UK government offers millions of public sector workers pay hikes to end strikes

Associated Press  

LONDON — The British government offered millions of public sector workers pay raises Thursday in a bid to end an array of strikes that have crippled trains, health care and other services for more than a year amid the biggest cost-of-living crisis in generations. On the day that tens of thousands of doctors in Britain’s state-funded health service launched a …

Border Force strike confirmed for end of April
1 year, 8 months ago

Border Force strike confirmed for end of April

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Border Force staff are among more than 130,000 civil service workers who have voted to strike …

More than 130,000 civil servants to strike next month in pay row
1 year, 8 months ago

More than 130,000 civil servants to strike next month in pay row

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Civil servants are to strike throughout April, culminating with a …

Nurses, paramedics reach pay deal to end England strikes
1 year, 9 months ago

Nurses, paramedics reach pay deal to end England strikes

Associated Press  

LONDON — Unions representing more than a million health care workers in England, including nurses and paramedics — but not doctors — reached a deal Thursday to resolve months of disruptive strikes for higher wages. “Today’s agreement demonstrates we are serious about this and we can find workable solutions.” But the head of the Royal College of Nursing, one of …

Half a million workers to strike on UK Chancellor’s Budget Day
1 year, 9 months ago

Half a million workers to strike on UK Chancellor’s Budget Day

Live Mint  

About half a million British workers are striking on Wednesday as unions stage a mass walkout timed to disrupt Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt’s annual budget. “When the Chancellor leaves Downing Street to go to Parliament to deliver the budget, he will see picket lines outside the Cabinet Office and various government departments that are on strike,” said Mark …

UK: Tens of thousands of doctors kick off 3-day strike
1 year, 9 months ago

UK: Tens of thousands of doctors kick off 3-day strike

Associated Press  

LONDON — Tens of thousands of junior doctors went on strike across England on Monday to demand better pay, kicking off three days of widespread disruption at the U.K.'s state-funded hospitals and health clinics. The British Medical Association, the doctors’ trade union, says pay for junior doctors has fallen 26% in real terms since 2008, while workload and patient waiting …

UK protest backs health staff as doctors prepare to strike
1 year, 9 months ago

UK protest backs health staff as doctors prepare to strike

Associated Press  

LONDON — Thousands of protesters marched through London to the British prime minister’s residence on Saturday to support health care workers who have held a series of strikes over pay and conditions in the state-funded National Health Service. NHS England said the doctors’ strike would be even more disruptive than recent walkouts by nurses and ambulance staff. As well as …

100,000 civil servants to strike on Budget Day in pay dispute
1 year, 10 months ago

100,000 civil servants to strike on Budget Day in pay dispute

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Around 100,000 civil servants are …

UK nurses, ambulance crews strike, straining health system
1 year, 10 months ago

UK nurses, ambulance crews strike, straining health system

Associated Press  

LONDON — Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance staff walked off the job in the U.K. on Monday in what unions called the biggest strike in the history of the country’s public health system. The walkout is the latest in a wave of strikes that has disrupted Britons’ lives for months, as workers — especially in the public sector …

British workers stage largest strike in history of health service
1 year, 10 months ago

British workers stage largest strike in history of health service

Deccan Chronicle  

LONDON: Health workers in Britain began their largest strike on Monday, as tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance workers walk out in an escalating pay dispute, putting further strain on the state-run National Health Service. Nurses and ambulance workers have been striking separately on and off since late last year but Monday's walkout involving both, largely in England, is …

Britain is angry and divided, and the Tories don’t get it
1 year, 10 months ago

Britain is angry and divided, and the Tories don’t get it

Al Jazeera  

They’re instead being fed nationalism by an authoritarian government misreading the public mood. During the COVID-19 pandemic, public sector workers, particularly health service and local government, worked incredibly hard in often very difficult conditions in order to deliver a health service, and were applauded by everybody. Parliament has passed a bill that gives the government the power to enforce people …

Day of disruption in U.K. as hundreds of thousands join strike
1 year, 10 months ago

Day of disruption in U.K. as hundreds of thousands join strike

The Hindu  

Thousands of schools in the U.K. closed some or all of their classrooms, train services were paralyzed and delays were expected at airports on the biggest day of industrial action Britain has seen in more than a decade, as unions stepped up pressure on the government Wednesday to provide better pay amid a cost-of-living crisis. Union bosses argue that despite …

Day of disruption in UK as hundreds of thousands join strike
1 year, 10 months ago

Day of disruption in UK as hundreds of thousands join strike

Associated Press  

LONDON — Thousands of schools in the U.K. closed some or all of their classrooms, train services were paralyzed and delays were expected at airports on the biggest day of industrial action Britain has seen in more than a decade, as unions stepped up pressure on the government Wednesday to provide better pay amid a cost-of-living crisis. Union bosses argue …

Half a million workers on strike in biggest day of industrial action in a decade
1 year, 10 months ago

Half a million workers on strike in biggest day of industrial action in a decade

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she expects the “majority” …

Day of disruption in Britain as up to half a million workers go on strike
1 year, 10 months ago

Day of disruption in Britain as up to half a million workers go on strike

LA Times  

Teachers march in protest in London, joining hundreds of thousands of workers who went on strike Wednesday. Thousands of schools closed some or all of their classrooms, train services were paralyzed and delays were expected at airports Wednesday in what was shaping up to be Britain’s biggest day of industrial action in more than a decade, as unions stepped up …

The true impact of strikes in Britain revealed – £6bn and counting
1 year, 11 months ago

The true impact of strikes in Britain revealed – £6bn and counting

The Independent  

The government has been warned about the crippling impact of the ongoing industrial unrest as analysis suggests recent strikes have caused a £6bn hit to the economy. The government is also facing possible industrial action from ambulance staff, train drivers, postal workers, firefighters, Border Force officials, jobcentre staff and other civil servants. The Public and Commercial Services union is expecting …

Workers protest against anti-strike bill
1 year, 11 months ago

Workers protest against anti-strike bill

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Union workers protesting against an anti-strike bill called it a …

Strike by civil servants to go ahead after talks dismissed as ‘total farce’
1 year, 11 months ago

Strike by civil servants to go ahead after talks dismissed as ‘total farce’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Because of the minister’s refusal to help us now, the one-day strike we announced …

UK ambulance workers walk out, joining wave of strike action
1 year, 11 months ago

UK ambulance workers walk out, joining wave of strike action

Associated Press  

LONDON — Around 25,000 U.K. ambulance workers went on strike Wednesday, walking out for the second time since December in an ongoing dispute with the government over pay. Union leaders say some of the lowest-paid public health workers, including call handlers and drivers, are close to falling below the national minimum wage. The strike action comes at a time of …

UK government meets unions but fails to end wave of strikes
1 year, 11 months ago

UK government meets unions but fails to end wave of strikes

Associated Press  

LONDON — U.K. government ministers met trade union leaders on Monday but fell short of ending a wave of strikes that has hobbled the rail network and strained the overburdened health system. However Onay Kasab, negotiator for the Unite union, said the talks had been a “missed opportunity.” Unions said strikes by nurses and ambulance staff planned for this month …

UK will make it harder for key workers to strike
1 year, 11 months ago

UK will make it harder for key workers to strike

CNN  

London CNN — The UK government is planning to introduce a new law forcing workers in key public sectors such as ambulance services to maintain a basic level of service during strike action or risk dismissal. In a statement on Thursday, the government said it would introduce a bill in parliament in the coming weeks to set minimum safety levels …

UK govt urges unions to end strikes, vows to curb walkouts
1 year, 11 months ago

UK govt urges unions to end strikes, vows to curb walkouts

Associated Press  

LONDON — The British government on Thursday dangled the prospect of public-sector pay hikes next year in an attempt to end strikes by nurses and ambulance staff that have piled pressure on an already overburdened health system. The government invited union leaders for talks on 2023-24 pay rates and promised a “cooperative spirit” – while also saying it will introduce …

Public support for striking rail workers appears to slip, YouGov poll suggests
1 year, 11 months ago

Public support for striking rail workers appears to slip, YouGov poll suggests

Daily Mail  

More Britons now oppose the strikes which are crippling Britain's rail network than those who back them, a new poll has suggested. The survey revealed less than half of the public back industrial action on the railways compared to 66% who support nurse walk outs and 50% who agree with teachers going on strike. Public support for striking railway workers …

UK trains disrupted again as workers stage fresh strikes
1 year, 11 months ago

UK trains disrupted again as workers stage fresh strikes

Associated Press  

LONDON — Commuters returning to work on Tuesday after the Christmas break were advised not to travel as tens of thousands of British rail workers stage a fresh round of strikes that will disrupt services all week. Transport Secretary Mark Harper urged union leaders to come to the negotiating table and said the government has offered a “very fair pay …

UK strikes and crumbling health service add troubles to Rishi Sunak government
1 year, 11 months ago

UK strikes and crumbling health service add troubles to Rishi Sunak government

Hindustan Times  

British rail workers will walk off the job much of this week, paralyzing transport and adding to the troubles piling up for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government. “We’re not going back to the 1970s where the trade union barons thought that they ran the government,” Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said last week. “We’re increasing the NHS capacity by the equivalent …

UK rail workers resume strike action as negotiations stall again
1 year, 11 months ago

UK rail workers resume strike action as negotiations stall again

Al Jazeera  

More sectors to join industrial action later this month as workers demand a living wage that allows them to cope with surging inflation. Railway workers across the UK have launched strikes, accusing the government of blocking rail operators from offering an acceptable proposal on job security, pay and working conditions. The government has said it cannot afford to give public …

Rishi Sunak’s crackdown on strikes could be six months away
1 year, 11 months ago

Rishi Sunak’s crackdown on strikes could be six months away

The Telegraph  

Rishi Sunak’s promised crackdown on trade unions will not take place for at least six months, the Telegraph understands, amid fears 2023 will be plagued by repeated strikes. Downing Street is poised to announce new legislation restricting some public sector strikes within weeks, after Mr Sunak promised “tough new laws” against unions shutting down Britain’s rail, mail, and health services …

Who is striking this winter and why?
1 year, 11 months ago

Who is striking this winter and why?

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery The CWU argues that Royal Mail workers had a below-inflation …

Wages in UK next year to be at their lowest level since 2006
1 year, 11 months ago

Wages in UK next year to be at their lowest level since 2006

Firstpost  

The report confirms that wages have stagnated in Britain even as inflation hits double digits, sparking the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades New Delhi: The average British worker’s pay in 2023 is expected to fall back to 2006 levels once inflation is taken into account. The report further confirms that wages have stagnated in Britain even as inflation hits double …

UK Worker Strikes: Sunak Says Govt Open for Talks but Unions Disagree
2 years ago

UK Worker Strikes: Sunak Says Govt Open for Talks but Unions Disagree

News 18  

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his disappointment on Friday over the recent strikes that threaten to disrupt the Christmas season. Speaking to news outlet Sky, he admitted that the public sector pay issue was a ‘difficult’ question for his government but he insisted that the actions taken by his government were ‘fair.’ “The government has acted fairly and reasonably …

Britain’s health workers announce more strikes for 2023
2 years ago

Britain’s health workers announce more strikes for 2023

Al Jazeera  

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he is ‘sad’ and ‘disappointed’ about widespread strikes but refuses to negotiate. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters he is “sad” and “disappointed” about widespread strikes, but he insisted that refusing to negotiate on public sector pay was the “right thing” in the long term. “I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the …

Ambulance strikes today: What are the demands and what is the government offering?
2 years ago

Ambulance strikes today: What are the demands and what is the government offering?

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “But the key thing is for anybody that does have an emergency situation or a …

Don’t get drunk: British government urges holiday caution as ambulance workers strike
2 years ago

Don’t get drunk: British government urges holiday caution as ambulance workers strike

LA Times  

Ambulance workers in England and Wales went on a one-day strike Wednesday, part of a wave of industrial action in Britain this winter. The government advised people not to play contact sports, take unnecessary car trips or get drunk in order to reduce their risk of needing an ambulance, as paramedics, call-handlers and technicians across England and Wales staged their …

UK sending 1,200 troops to fill in as ambulance crews strike
2 years ago

UK sending 1,200 troops to fill in as ambulance crews strike

Associated Press  

LONDON — The British government said Sunday it will dispatch 1,200 troops to fill in for striking ambulance drivers and border staff as multiple public sector unions walk off the job in the week before Christmas. In the tabloid Sun on Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak branded union chiefs “Grinches that want to steal Christmas for their own political ends.” …

Army to cover for striking ambulance and border workers as NHS unions ‘offer way out’
2 years ago

Army to cover for striking ambulance and border workers as NHS unions ‘offer way out’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Steve Barclay, the health secretary, said his “number one priority” was keeping patients “as …

‘Winter of Discontent’: Why UK has been hit by a wave of strikes
2 years ago

‘Winter of Discontent’: Why UK has been hit by a wave of strikes

Firstpost  

In its first-ever national walkout, National Health Service staff staged strikes across the country today. After a 48-hour strike by rail workers which lasted till Wednesday, now nurses across the UK have walked out demanding higher pay amid soaring inflation. Rail services hit The Rail, Maritime and Transport, the UK’s biggest rail union, has organised strikes over the holiday season …

Rail workers walk off job to start month of UK strikes
2 years ago

Rail workers walk off job to start month of UK strikes

Associated Press  

LONDON — Railroad workers across England walked off the job Tuesday, disrupting trains throughout the U.K. and starting what is expected to be a month of strikes by public service workers demanding higher pay as soaring inflation erodes living standards. The strikes come after unions rejected the latest offer on pay and working conditions from Network Rail, which runs the …

UK airport staff plan Christmas walkout, joining strike wave
2 years ago

UK airport staff plan Christmas walkout, joining strike wave

Associated Press  

LONDON — Britain’s Conservative government on Wednesday threatened “tough” action to curb strikes, as airport passport officers became the latest public sector workers to announce December walkouts. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Wednesday he was considering more “tough new laws.” “If the union leaders continue to be unreasonable, then it is my duty to take action to protect the …

Ports, Border Force, driving tests and licences to be hit by strikes
2 years, 1 month ago

Ports, Border Force, driving tests and licences to be hit by strikes

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Civil servants in the Home …

‘Enough’: Nurses in UK to go on strike for first time in history
2 years, 1 month ago

‘Enough’: Nurses in UK to go on strike for first time in history

Al Jazeera  

More than 300,000 union members will walk out over pay, adding to pressure on the country’s health system. “Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough,” RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen said in a statement. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson told reporters earlier on Wednesday the government wanted to strike a balance between the “crucial role” …

Fears for Christmas travel chaos at airports and ports as UK Border Force staff vote to strike
2 years, 1 month ago

Fears for Christmas travel chaos at airports and ports as UK Border Force staff vote to strike

Daily Mail  

Brits are facing Christmas travel misery as thousands of UK Border Force workers are set to strike in a dispute over pay - raising yet more fears of a winter of discontent due to industrial action sweeping the country. Brits are facing Christmas travel misery as thousands of UK Border Force workers threaten to strike in a dispute over pay …

Strikes sweep Britain as soaring inflation savages living standards
2 years, 3 months ago

Strikes sweep Britain as soaring inflation savages living standards

CNN  

London CNN Business — Workers in the United Kingdom have had enough of falling living standards. ‘Demoralizing’ The United Kingdom has “never seen level of disruption across all sectors,” Chiara Benassi, an associate professor in comparative employment relations at King’s College London, told CNN Business. “There’s been the rise in precarious work, so that a growing proportion of workers simply …

The government’s answer to breaking the rail strikes could put lives in danger
2 years, 5 months ago

The government’s answer to breaking the rail strikes could put lives in danger

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As members of the drivers’ union …

Here we go again: Strike snarls UK trains for a third day
2 years, 5 months ago

Here we go again: Strike snarls UK trains for a third day

Associated Press  

LONDON — Train stations were all but deserted across Britain on Saturday, as the third day of a national strike snarled the weekend plans of millions. Train companies said only a fifth of passenger services would run, as about 40,000 cleaners, signalers, maintenance workers and station staff walked off the job in Britain’s biggest and most disruptive railway strike for …

Holidaymakers face ‘mass disruption’ as airport workers vote for strike
2 years, 6 months ago

Holidaymakers face ‘mass disruption’ as airport workers vote for strike

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Britain is braced for a summer of “massive disruption” after …

Ninety-one per cent of workers stay at home during strikes
2 years, 6 months ago

Ninety-one per cent of workers stay at home during strikes

Daily Mail  

More than 90% of office workers in London were forced to WFH on the first day of Mick Lynch's rail strikes, as the RMT unleashes more travel chaos across Britain today. Yesterday occupancy levels rose to 23%, according to data from tech company Freespace KINGS CROSS: Kings Cross Station was deserted this morning as millions of commuters face a third …

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