Widespread strike in Britain was coordinated to have the greatest impact

Paco Dennis

Paco Dennis

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Lots of people hitting the streets because they can't make ends meet.

"LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Roughly half a million workers went out on strike in the U.K. yesterday, the largest single day of industrial action in Britain for more than a decade. They included teachers, civil servants, border force agents, as well as bus and train drivers. The strike was coordinated by unions to have the biggest impact. We're joined now from London by reporter Willem Marx for an update on this ongoing winter of discontent. Good morning.

WILLEM MARX: Good morning, Leila.

FADEL: So Willem, what factors united so many different kinds of workers together for this huge strike?

MARX: Well, ultimately, this was about pay levels. Every single one of these professions and the unions that represent them are demanding higher wages at a time when living costs in Britain are much higher than they were even several months ago. Inflation linked to higher energy prices has created some really big problems for people not only for their heating and their electric bills, but even the cost of food in the grocery stores here. It's up more than 10% year on year.

Without corresponding increases for their pay, of course, many people are struggling to make ends meet. And all of these kinds of jobs in Britain that we've mentioned there, they have their wages in some sense controlled by the government. That might be obvious, say, with civil servants or border force agents. But even the companies that run the trains here in the U.K., they do serve as franchises controlled by the government. So they're not really able to pay their workers more without the government ultimately approving it. And the government has really dragged its feet over these pay increases."

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1153...n-was-coordinated-to-have-the-greatest-impact
 

Lavinia said:
It's Joe Public who suffers the most. People have actually died because of the strikes. How can nurses and ambulance drivers live with innocent deaths on their conscience?
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In UK* arrangements are made beforehand to deliver emergency services that save lives. Schools have skeleton staffing to care for any children who are unable to stay home. Ambulances still turn up at traffic accidents and so on.

Mass co-ordinated strikes like these only happen because the employers refuse to negotiate in good faith. It is likely that this exercise will have to be repeated.

*I'm assuming the situation in UK is analogous to the Australian industrial relations situation between government workers and their employer.
 
The strikes in the UK are fully justified.
Of course there will be some hardships...but nurses, hospitals, teachers
rail workers are over worked, burnt out.
Were it not for the migrants, the NHS would collapse...now those
migrants are also burnt out.
 
Paco Dennis said:
all of these kinds of jobs in Britain that we've mentioned there, they have their wages in some sense controlled by the government. That might be obvious, say, with civil servants or border force agents. But even the companies that run the trains here in the U.K., they do serve as franchises controlled by the government. So they're not really able to pay their workers more without the government ultimately approving it. And the government has really dragged its feet over these pay increases."
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The unions would like every worker in every trade to strike
together and really shut the country down!

Modern day strikes of workers are ineffective to an extent, when
compared to strikes in the past, businesses are affected, those
who's staff are on strike and small city businesses who rely on
the workers to use their shop, to buy coffee and or sandwiches,
pubs who rely on lunchtime trade, newsagents who sell sweets
and cigarettes.

In the main they have sort of become a part of daily life, during
the pandemic, office workers learned how to work from home,
some who need to work in a specific location, just drive to the
outskirts and catch a bus , it is not ideal, but doable.

It has come out that many train drivers ear £100,000 a year,
teachers £63,000 a year, some people are having a hard time
and really need help, but, nurses and ambulance drivers who
are para-medics, also firefighters, are playing with people's
lives.

Mike.
 
Recent polling shows, the strikers, from train drivers and railway workers to nurses, emergency services staff teachers and civil servants, continue to have the support of a majority of the British public.

Monday 6 February…

Members of the RCN will strike for 12 hours.

Paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff belonging to the GMB union will stage a walkout, as will ambulance workers from the Unite union working at the following trusts: West Midlands, East Midlands, North West, North East and Wales.
 
load of lazy gits,they dont know what real work is,,,they dont get my support,,they need to learn how to budget,,like our mums and dads
 
Desperate measures call for desperate action. When those who would rule you are in blissful ignorance of your difficulties they deserve a wake up call like this strike just to remind them THEY are supposed to work for US. We outnumber them after all.
 
Chances of any organized or any type of strike in U.S. are highly unlikely. We have a love affair with money and besides, most of the real men in this country are now retired. We have become a country of followers. We are great at complaining, but not very good at standing up.
 
Jamala said:
Recent polling shows, the strikers, from train drivers and railway workers to nurses, emergency services staff teachers and civil servants, continue to have the support of a majority of the British public.
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It all depends who is doing the polling Jamala, the ones that show support,
are probably done by a union.

Mike.
 
jet said:
load of lazy gits,they dont know what real work is,,,they dont get my support,,they need to learn how to budget,,like our mums and dads
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Did your mum or dad have to get a masters degree at university before getting a job, and did they have a huge university debt to repay once they did have a position?

No? Mine didn't either but my grandchildren have spent five years or more getting themselves professionally qualified for their 'unreal work' and some are still only on temporary contracts. All are 30+ years of age and only one has been financially able to buy a small dump of a home in the outer suburbs. She is the only one secure enough to start a family. She trained in hospitality and has a degree in hotel management, along with the usual student debt.
 
Warrigal said:
Did your mum or dad have to get a masters degree at university before getting a job, and did they have a huge university debt to repay once they did have a position?

No? Mine didn't either but my grandchildren have spent five years or more getting themselves professionally qualified for their 'unreal work' and some are still only on temporary contracts. All are 30+ years of age and only one has been financially able to buy a small dump of a home in the outer suburbs. She is the only one secure enough to start a family. She trained in hospitality and has a degree in hotel management, along with the usual student debt.
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You are not alone. These days when young people are asked why they don't own diamonds and the like they'll tell you they can barely feed themselves. I think that's the saddest commentary on modernity possible...
 
Are the coordinated multiple strikes in the UK,
for a duration of repeated short periods of time, or are they ongoing?

And if ongoing, then do they continue till some response; and then, would the response need to address the concerns of all of the various groups, in order for the strikes to conclude?
:unsure:
 
Paco Dennis said:
Lots of people hitting the streets because they can't make ends meet.
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Not very knowledgeable of the situation in the UK, but it seems to me things like this have the potential to make things worse, not better. Slows the economy even further and just inflames tempers, doesn't solve much.

I did read that the UK has the weakest economy in Western Europe because of the effects of Brexit. Wasn't that the result of a majority vote? If true then perhaps the people have themselves to blame. I know there are probably non-economic reasons for Brexit, but the economic effects come with the decision no matter the reason for it.

As I said I am an ignorant American when it comes to the UK, these are just some observations. Feel free to set me right.
 

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