One of the worst in the country’s recent history, the strike wave in the UK has turned everyday life into an obstacle course for Brits to navigate as much as they can. The government mobilized 1,200 members of the Army this Christmas week to provide some minimum services. National and local strikes affect everyone with greater or lesser intensity depending on their circumstances and the region in which they live. This strikes by ambulance drivers, railroad workers, postal workers, nurses, port personnel, driving school teachers or coffin makers, they disturb, among others, the presence of millions of citizens in the second winter of discontent in a row.
Situation, “It evokes memories of the chaos of the 70sWriting in the “Financial Times”, George Parker warns of the danger this social pulse poses for prime minister Rishi Sunak. “If the strikes continue through 2023, you will have to calculate the extent of the political damage.” Children who are out of school today because teachers have left the classrooms. Tomorrow will be a doctor’s appointment canceled. No trains to go to work or back home. The Christmas gift that was supposed to arrive in the mail and perhaps didn’t arrive on time, and the Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve flight that would be complicated by customs and passport control officials.
nurses challenge
The most dangerous revolt for the altar and the conservative government is the nurses’ revolt.It is an institution that citizens respect, especially after the pandemic. In the 106-year history of the Royal College of Nursing, overworked, demoralized and underpaid professionals had not gone on strike, setting up lookouts at hospitals’ gates on the 15th. Public health (NHS) has 47,000 vacant nursing places, while patient numbers are on the rise. Nurses and nurses are seeking a 19% raise after current inflation worsened at 11%, after years of accumulated loss of purchases.
The government is proposing a 4.5% salary increase and considers the claim “unapproachable”. “I understand that we are asking for a lot. But we want them to pay us according to inflation,” he said. “We work hard and it’s terrible to see people leave the profession because they can’t take it anymore.” The starting salary is 31,000 euros per year and the average salary is 42,000 euros. It may suffice in some parts of the country, but in London and the south of England it means living precariously, with much higher prices.
A recent study found that 14% of nurses use food banks to make a living, and a third have difficulty paying for food and heating. They have now stopped again on Tuesday and the next day the ambulance troops will do so and repeat the protest on the 28th of this month. 750 soldiers mobilized to limit the impact and deal with emergencies.
a broken system
There is no Christmas truce in transportation either. Highway workers will not go to work. Nor the passport control officers at the country’s main airports. The 40,000 workers of 14 train companies are again paralyzing the network over Christmas and New Year’s until 7 January. Eurostar services between London, Paris and Brussels will also be affected. Last week, the train strike caused millions of dollars in losses in the hospitality industry. In London, the City remained empty. People didn’t go to the offices, and during one of the busiest times of the year, there were thousands of party and dinner cancellations in bars and restaurants. The advice of the authorities these days is to stay at home as much as possible and avoid movement.
“This winter strike wave is not just a protest against low wages, it is also a sign of a corrupt political and economic system”says Martin Kettle, columnist for ‘The Guardian’‘. There is a limit to the support and understanding of the British with strikers. According to an Ipsos survey, 52% support nurses, but in September that support was 60%. Railroad workers are also losing sympathy.