United Kingdom: Government inflexible in face of surge in strikes

In the UK, which is reeling under inflation of more than 10%, many sectors – railway workers, logistics, ambulance workers, border police officers, airports etc. – We have decided to strike at the end of the year and many have decided to strike at the beginning of January as well.

On Wednesday, thousands of paramedics joined the movement to demand a pay rise. A strike is very worrisome because of the repercussions it can have on hospitals. About 750 soldiers were mobilized to replace the striking paramedics.

Many NHS leaders [le système public de santé, NDLR] Tell us you can’t guarantee patient safety tomorrowMatthew Taylor, director of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals in England, warned. It is clear that we have entered dangerous territoryHe wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Health Secretary Will Quince called on the BBC to avoid Britons Dangerous activitiesBefore describing: a jogging session on an icy road, a contact sport or a car ride Useless.

An NHS official has called for a pick-up reasonable measuresin the middle Drink responsibly.

Dead end

Prime Minister Matthew Taylor has urged a swift end to the standoff between the government and unions. to negotiate in salary. But the government is sticking to its guns.

I know it’s hard. It’s difficult for everyone because inflation is where it isRishi Sunak told the leaders of parliamentary committees in Westminster on Tuesday afternoon.

The best way […] To help everyone in the country, we must come together and reduce inflation as soon as possibleHe reiterated.

Health Minister Steve Barclay met with the unions on Tuesday, but did not move forward on a solution. It is disappointing that some unions continue to go on strike, he tweeted after the meeting. The demands of the trade unions, he said, Unaffordable.

Unit union official Onai Kasab moderated the meeting Totally useless due to Refusal Minister’s to discuss salary. How does he hope to shake things up and resolve the conflict without discussing the core issue?he asked.

Ambulances line up outside the Royal London Hospital. 3 out of 10 ambulances have been queuing outside hospitals in England in recent weeks.

Photo: Getty Images/Leon Neal

For the first time in a century

After the first walkout last Thursday, the nurses were mobilized again on Tuesday. After years of belt-tightening on a chronically underfunded public health care system, they want substantial increases.

The nurses, who are on strike for the first time in their union’s existence in more than a hundred years, have become a symbol of the cost-of-living crisis.

On Tuesday evening, their union gave the government two days to negotiate a wage deal. Otherwise, there will be new strikes after Christmas.

We have two days left before Christmas to start turning things around together. We will announce the dates and hospitals for next month’s strike by FridayPat Cullen, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said:

About 10,000 nurses went on strike on Tuesday.

People supported strikes

It’s not just the salary, it’s the working conditions, Patient careAFP Emily, a nurse in Liverpool (North), said she was underlining the high number of nurses leaving the profession.

For 30 years in the business, his colleague Pauline pointed out, before, in order to finish to entertain you With the salary of the nurse, We worked holidays and overtime. Now it’s just that to meet the requirements That it should be done.

While Britons criticize some of these movements, sometimes disrupting their Christmas plans, nurses enjoy strong support among the population. Because they were on the frontlines during the Covid-19 pandemic and have been exposed to the crisis that has affected the much-respected public and free healthcare system for years.

Two-thirds of Britons support strikes by nurses and 63% by paramedics, according to a YouGov poll published on Tuesday. They support 43% of those on the train.