Workers from various public and private sectors are demanding wage increases in line with inflation
The strike by rail workers in the United Kingdom, which has paralyzed almost all rail transport after the three days of strike this week, is the prelude to an announced “summer of discontent”. So is a likely sour autumn, with labor disputes in the public sector and at key private companies, from criminal defense attorneys to British Airways and postal workers.
Boris Johnson’s government faces the twin challenges of rising inflation and the labor shortage that is growing due to the coronavirus pandemic and post-Brexit immigration legislation. In the pulse between the two opposing forces, the prime minister is defending pay rises of 3%, although, as he said this Saturday, he understands “the frustration of the people” at the high cost of living. “People swear every time they fill up their cars,” the ‘Prime Minister’ told Sky Television from Kigali, Rwanda’s capital and the venue for the summit of Commonwealth heads of government.
Inflation reached 9% in May and is expected to hover around 11% by the end of the year, according to the latest Bank of England forecast. On the other hand, the labor market has fallen into an unprecedented gap, with 1.3 million vacancies in the three months to May 2022, half a million more than in the same period of the previous year. Therefore, a conflict has been unleashed between the need to contain inflationary forces and the ability to improve working conditions to retain workers and attract new professionals.
The first attack is played in the transport sector. The main railway sector union, RMT, paralyzed 80% of services with three days of strike – Monday, Thursday and Saturday – although the impact of the union action was felt throughout the week.
It claims for its 40,000 member companies with jobs in the private railway companies and the public body that runs the railways a salary increase of about 7%, better working conditions and guarantees that there will be no redundancies as a result of the modernization programs required by the executive branch. “There is still a long way to go in this dispute,” Secretary General Mick Lynch said on Saturday.
It’s not the only union gearing up for a lengthy duel. London Underground workers on Tuesday cut service and voted to extend the union action over their pensions and against redundancies. British Airways ground staff at Heathrow, in turn, approved a strike on unannounced dates in July or August. The strike could spread to engineers with jobs at Gatwick and other airports.
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
