UK
Summer of discontent as teachers, nurses and NHS workers could join rail workers on strikeRail workers begin three days of staggered strike action today (June 21)
By Aletha Adu
Enda Mullen
21 JUN 2022
The National Education Union said unless teachers received a pay offer closer to inflation it would plan to ballot its 450,000 members (Image: PA)
As Britain braces itself for the biggest rail strike in more than 30 years, the signs are pointing towards a summer of discontent with the prospect of teachers, nurses and NHS workers following in their footsteps. Union bosses have said those who work in schools and the health service could be the next to stage walkouts.
The stark warning was issued by health service and teachers unions, the Mirror reports. It comes as the UK faces a week of disruption on the rail network due to strike action.
Unless teachers receive a pay offer that gets closer to matching the soaring inflation rate, the National Education Union has said it plans to ballot its 450,000 members. The NASUWT, which has around 300,000 members, has also warned it is considering balloting members over strike action if a significant pay rise is not offered.
READ MORE: Coventry rail strikes - what it means for our rail lines, key dates and why it's happening
And Unison chief Christina McAnea said the Government had a simple choice; to make a “sensible pay award... or risk a potential dispute” in hospitals. Unison represents workers across the NHS, including science, therapy and technical staff.
It has been reported that nurses could strike too. Teachers and nurses have been offered pay rises of three per cent.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England has said it expects inflation to hit 11 per cent this year. The Labour party has accused the Government of failing to do its job as ministers again refused to intervene in a bid to halt the rail strikes due to begin today (Tuesday June 21).
But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps dismissed the prospect of negotiations and branded the rail strike a “stunt”. Thousands of public sector workers attended a rally in Parliament Square on Saturday to call for more support to cope with the cost of living crisis.
As Britain braces itself for the biggest rail strike in more than 30 years, the signs are pointing towards a summer of discontent with the prospect of teachers, nurses and NHS workers following in their footsteps. Union bosses have said those who work in schools and the health service could be the next to stage walkouts.
The stark warning was issued by health service and teachers unions, the Mirror reports. It comes as the UK faces a week of disruption on the rail network due to strike action.
Unless teachers receive a pay offer that gets closer to matching the soaring inflation rate, the National Education Union has said it plans to ballot its 450,000 members. The NASUWT, which has around 300,000 members, has also warned it is considering balloting members over strike action if a significant pay rise is not offered.
READ MORE: Coventry rail strikes - what it means for our rail lines, key dates and why it's happening
And Unison chief Christina McAnea said the Government had a simple choice; to make a “sensible pay award... or risk a potential dispute” in hospitals. Unison represents workers across the NHS, including science, therapy and technical staff.
It has been reported that nurses could strike too. Teachers and nurses have been offered pay rises of three per cent.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England has said it expects inflation to hit 11 per cent this year. The Labour party has accused the Government of failing to do its job as ministers again refused to intervene in a bid to halt the rail strikes due to begin today (Tuesday June 21).
But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps dismissed the prospect of negotiations and branded the rail strike a “stunt”. Thousands of public sector workers attended a rally in Parliament Square on Saturday to call for more support to cope with the cost of living crisis.
West Midlands Railway is one of 13 operators affected by striking staff this week
(Image: Birmingham Live/Darren Quinton)
Shadow Levelling Up Secretary Lisa Nandy called on ministers to “listen seriously” to workers’ concerns. She said: “It’s not about whether workers go on strike, it’s about the fact we have a Government that’s currently on strike and not doing its job. This is a Government that in 2019 came to power on a promise to level up and instead what they’ve presided over is absolute chaos.
"Chaos at the ports, chaos on the railways, chaos at airports, chaos everywhere you go, and that is because this is a government that is not doing its job.”
From Tuesday, rail services across the country and on the London Underground will grind to a halt amid the biggest walkout in the industry for more than 30 years in a row over pay, jobs and conditions. Strikes at Network Rail and 13 train operators will go ahead today, Thursday and Saturday, and on the London Underground on just Tuesday.
Shadow Levelling Up Secretary Lisa Nandy called on ministers to “listen seriously” to workers’ concerns. She said: “It’s not about whether workers go on strike, it’s about the fact we have a Government that’s currently on strike and not doing its job. This is a Government that in 2019 came to power on a promise to level up and instead what they’ve presided over is absolute chaos.
"Chaos at the ports, chaos on the railways, chaos at airports, chaos everywhere you go, and that is because this is a government that is not doing its job.”
From Tuesday, rail services across the country and on the London Underground will grind to a halt amid the biggest walkout in the industry for more than 30 years in a row over pay, jobs and conditions. Strikes at Network Rail and 13 train operators will go ahead today, Thursday and Saturday, and on the London Underground on just Tuesday.
The National Education Union said unless teachers received a pay offer closer to inflation it would plan to ballot its 450,000 members
(Image: PA)
The National Education Union has said unless teachers receive a pay offer closer to inflation, it would plan to ballot its 450,000 members, the Observer reported yesterday. Unison warned there could be industrial action in hospitals without a pay deal close to inflation.
Christina McAnea, Unison general secretary, said: “The Government has a simple choice, either it makes a sensible pay award, investing in staff and services and reducing delays for patients, or it risks a potential dispute, growing workforce shortages and increased suffering for the sick.”
Chairman of the NHS Confederation Victor Adebowale warned a real-terms pay rise for the lowest paid NHS staff was needed to avoid “a worsening of the NHS workforce crisis”.
TUC boss Frances O’Grady called for the Government to intervene in the rail dispute. She said: “Rather than working in good faith to find a negotiated settlement, ministers are inflaming tensions.
"Instead of threatening to do a P&O on workers and rip up their rights, ministers should be getting people around the table to agree a fair deal.”
The National Education Union has said unless teachers receive a pay offer closer to inflation, it would plan to ballot its 450,000 members, the Observer reported yesterday. Unison warned there could be industrial action in hospitals without a pay deal close to inflation.
Christina McAnea, Unison general secretary, said: “The Government has a simple choice, either it makes a sensible pay award, investing in staff and services and reducing delays for patients, or it risks a potential dispute, growing workforce shortages and increased suffering for the sick.”
Chairman of the NHS Confederation Victor Adebowale warned a real-terms pay rise for the lowest paid NHS staff was needed to avoid “a worsening of the NHS workforce crisis”.
TUC boss Frances O’Grady called for the Government to intervene in the rail dispute. She said: “Rather than working in good faith to find a negotiated settlement, ministers are inflaming tensions.
"Instead of threatening to do a P&O on workers and rip up their rights, ministers should be getting people around the table to agree a fair deal.”
Frances O'Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, says pay has to rise across the board
(Image: PA)
Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies said demands for pay irises were “understandable”, but the Government had done enough to help lower-paid workers.
He said: “Any group of workers are going to try, quite understandably, quite reasonably, to get pay rises going up in line with prices But if everybody does that, it will mean the inflation becomes embedded in the economy, so we would all be better off if we all took the low inflation pay rises.”
The Department for Transport said: “Strikes should always be the last resort, not the first. It is hugely disappointing and premature that the RMT is going ahead with industrial action.”
He said: “Any group of workers are going to try, quite understandably, quite reasonably, to get pay rises going up in line with prices But if everybody does that, it will mean the inflation becomes embedded in the economy, so we would all be better off if we all took the low inflation pay rises.”
The Department for Transport said: “Strikes should always be the last resort, not the first. It is hugely disappointing and premature that the RMT is going ahead with industrial action.”
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