Over 115,000 postal workers walked out on Friday
By Peter Aitken
Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, vowed to act “tough” in response to the U.K.’s numerous union members. across a number of industries, have declared walkouts or gone on strike, endangering the holidays.
If “union leaders continue to be unreasonable,” Sunak warned Parliament, he would “take action to protect the lives and livelihoods of the British public.”
Sunak stated, “I will take the necessary steps to ensure that I maintain people’s safety and that I minimize the disruption on their lives.
The largest wave of walkouts to hit Britain since 1989 includes a number of different groups going on strike, including postal workers, rail workers, ambulance drivers, Scottish teachers, and nurses. Over 20,000 ambulance workers will strike on December 21 in addition to the over 115,000 Royal Mail postal workers who struck on Friday, with plans to continue on December 14, 15, 23, and 24.
As a result of rising living expenses, negotiations between the unions and employers over higher pay and fewer staff reductions have come to a standstill. The cost of energy has increased due to inflation as more people struggle to stay warm during the winter.
Public and Commercial Services Union General Secretary Mark Serwotka told Reuters that the groups chose Christmas for their walkouts as a “last resort” to “ensure that the action that we call is noticed.”
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said that using Christmas as a pulpit was “unjustifiable” for jeopardizing thousands of families and businesses, and that the government will work with “all U.K. ports and airports and have robust plans in place to minimize any delays.”
The number of groups on strike will continue to grow over the coming weeks, with highway workers and Border Force workers set to start striking ahead of Christmas and remain on strike through the holiday.
Border Force workers oversee passport checks at major airports and customs, meaning that travelers could spend hours or see little movement through major checkpoints if traveling around the Christmas season.
The Royal Mail suggested residents send out Christmas letters and packages earlier than usual in order to avoid delays due to the strike.
Sunak and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer have sparred over the union disputes, with Sunak accusing Starmer of failing to “stand up for working people,” while Starmer claimed that Sunak was “grandstanding” and needed to “resolve these issues.”
The Trades Union Congress General Secretary Fraces O’Grady urged the two leaders to stop taking “political pot shots” and start negotiating over pay. Starmer said that Labour would oppose “unworkable” minimum service levels legislation, but Sunak insists that his government has maintained a reasonable stance ad accepted independent reviews on appropriate pay.
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