Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images News Getty Images LONDON (Reuters) – A multi-day rail strike that has severely disrupted travel across Britain could be just the beginning of a summer of strikes, UK trade unions have warned, as many professions say workers’ wages exceed wages. Some 40,000 Railway Network staff and workers at 13 train operators went on strike on Tuesday in the first of a series of planned strikes. This came after talks between the operators and the British union RMT that failed to reach an agreement on wages, working conditions and possible layoffs. Only 20% of rail services in England, Scotland and Wales were operated on Tuesday, with further cancellations on Thursday and Saturday, causing long breaks for millions of workers and holidaymakers ahead of the peak summer season. London Underground also operated with limited capacity on Tuesday as staff went on strike. The unions say the railway strikes – the worst in a generation – are backed by staff in other sectors and could encourage them to step up action in a growing deadlock between government and public sector workers. That could lead to similar layoffs for teachers, health workers and local government staff, the TUC, Britain’s main organized labor movement, told CNBC on Tuesday. “Many public sector workers are waiting to hear what their pay will be. Trade unions in education, public administration and other parts of the public sector have already made it clear that if bids are significantly lower than inflation, they will vote for their members. labor action, “said TUC Deputy Secretary-General Paul Nowak. It comes as the UK suffers the worst cost of living crisis in decades, with wages keeping pace with rising food and energy prices. UK inflation jumped to a 40-year high of 9% in May – a figure the Bank of England forecasts could reach 11% in October. However, the government has sought to keep public sector wage increases well below that.
“Existential crisis” for public sector employees
The British Teachers’ Union said the profession was on the brink of an “existential crisis” as workers struggled to make ends meet. NASUWT has now said it will vote on members for national industrial action in November if the government does not meet the demands for a 12% pay rise this year. “Teachers are suffering, not only from the cost-of-living crisis facing the whole country, but 12 years of real-time wage cuts, which have left a 20% deficit in the value of their salaries,” said Secretary-General Patrick Roots. . in a statement on Sunday. Nurses are similarly seeking a 15% pay rise, with a spokesman for the RCN Nurses’ Union telling CNBC on Tuesday that pay was “a critical factor in recruiting and retaining the nursing workforce”. The TUC said any decision to strike would not be taken seriously, but urged the government to do more to support those facing wage freezes and wage cuts in real terms. “We hope that industrial action will not be necessary,” Nowak said. “But we need this conservative government to acknowledge the harm it has done by holding back public sector wages for so long. It has pushed workers to the brink. We have teachers and nurses who rely on food banks – that cannot to continue.” The strikes on Britain’s railways have caused widespread unrest for millions of workers and holidaymakers ahead of the peak summer travel season. Bryn Colton | Getty Images News Getty Images Talks between Network Rail and RMT collapsed on Monday after the workers’ union rejected proposals, including a 3% pay rise, in exchange for changes in workplace practices. RMT chief Mick Leeds has accused the government of “blocking” railway workers’ pay bids, calling for a 7% to 8% pay rise instead and warning that the strike would last “as long as necessary” until demands were met. employees. UK Transport Secretary Grand Saps said the controversy was “fabricated” by unions and said workers were going on strike under “false pretenses”. However, on Tuesday he again rejected calls from the government to intervene in the negotiations, saying that “the job of the employers is to meet with the unions”.
Impact on other industries
The strikes come as the UK economy struggles to stand on its own two feet after the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit-related supply issues. New data released last week showed that the country’s economy shrank unexpectedly by 0.3% in April, raising concerns about an impending recession. Business leaders have said the departures could have a significant impact on other sectors, especially those already hit hard by Covid-19 restrictions. This week’s rail strikes alone could cost the UK leisure, theater and tourism industry more than 1 1 billion ($ 1.22 billion) as more people stay home, according to UKHospitality. Susannah Streeter, a senior investment and market analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the railway strikes had turned ongoing business headaches into a “complete migraine” for the hospitality industry. “Restaurants, bars and hotels were already struggling under the pressure of high energy prices, supply chain disruptions and the ongoing labor crisis, and now mass departures are going to cause new financial pain,” he said in a note on Tuesday. . “As the transport network takes over, bookings are expected to plummet as the lucrative crowd stays home at noon and night parties cancel their bookings while fearing they will not be able to return home at the end of the night,” he added. .
