LONDON – British travellers face another day of nationwide train strikes on Saturday, with union leaders seeking to coordinate wider work stoppages across the public sector amid a row over pay.
Only a fraction of trains were running during a fifth day of walkouts that left London’s central financial district mostly deserted during the first working week of the year. Saturday’s strike threatens to dampen post-holiday sales held by the country’s largest retailers.
Industrial action could intensify in the coming weeks and months. The head of Britain’s biggest transport union called on Friday for coordinated strikes, potentially involving tens of thousands of public sector workers including teachers, firefighters and nurses. Newly-trained doctors are considering joining the wave of unrest.
“We need to maximise our influence and leverage up across hopefully everyone that’s involved in a dispute,” said Mr Mick Lynch, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. “So that’ll be teachers, health care. I think we’ve got the fire brigade coming into it soon.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government has already faced a wave of strikes that’s crippled public services and further crimped an economy already believed to be in recession.
The Royal Mail, transport workers, National Health Service staff, the Border Force and other parts of the civil service are all striking. Most disputes centre around pay, with workers demanding raises that keep pace with Britain’s double-digit inflation.
A union representing junior doctors said on Friday it would hold a 72-hour strike in March if members vote for action in a ballot starting next week. Teachers in England and Wales are currently being balloted on strikes over pay, with a walkout expected in the coming months if they support it. Ballots close on Jan 13. And after striking in December, nurses and ambulance workers are slated to take action again this month.
The government has so far refused to offer pay hikes for public sector workers beyond the levels suggested by pay review bodies that it says are independent. On Thursday, it invited union bosses to talks on next year’s public sector pay settlements, but made no mention of those for this year.
Talks are expected to resume from Monday but Mr Lynch wasn’t hopeful of a breakthrough. Unions have also been angered by government plans to bring in new legislation enforcing minimum service levels during strikes. While the government has said the legislation will be published in the “coming weeks”, an official familiar with the matter said it could come as soon as Tuesday.
Mr Sunak on Friday said he’s “hopeful” the talks can go ahead on Monday and that “all” union leaders have been invited.
“I fully believe in the unions’ role in our society and the freedom for them to strike,” Mr Sunak told broadcasters. “But I also believe that that should be balanced with the right of ordinary working people to go about their lives free from significant disruption.”
In a sign the government was feeling pressure to address the crisis in the NHS, Mr Sunak’s office late Friday announced the prime minister would host a NHS Recovery Forum on Saturday where ministers would meet with experts from across the health and care sectors to discuss ways to improve performance.
A resurgence of Covid-19 and winter flu plus industrial action have forced hospitals across the country to declare critical incidents. Seriously ill patients are facing long waits for emergency care. There’s also been a steep rise in excess deaths, at home and in hospitals.
The Royal College of Nursing this week urged the government to meet it “halfway” on pay, amid signs of a softening position ahead of more planned strikes this month.
The union has been pushing for a 19 per cent pay rise for its members, but general secretary Pat Cullen signalled on a Times Radio podcast that she was ready to make a significant compromise. It means the RCN could be willing to accept a rise of about 10 per cent to end its dispute.
Ms Cullen urged Sunak and Health Secretary Steve Barclay to “get into a room and meet me halfway here. Do the decent thing for these nurses”.
Mr Sunak has so far stuck with the advice of an independent pay review body, which has seen average nurses’ pay rise by around 4 per cent.
Ms Cullen welcomed the premier’s call for discussions on next year’s pay settlement, but warned on Times Radio “we need to sort out something for this year to send a message out to the nursing staff of this country that have held us all together that they’re valued, but they can also pay their bills and don’t have to be reduced going to food banks”. BLOOMBERG
