Thousands march in central London yesterday demanding government action over the cost of living crisis (Image: Getty)
NHS teachers and staff are threatening to strike for a salary at the end of the year amid fears of another “winter of discontent”.
As England prepares for “the biggest rail strike in modern history” next week, unions representing health and education workers warned of possible industrial action in the autumn.
The National Education Union (NEU) has said it is preparing to hold a vote of its 450,000 members, which could lead to strikes in schools across the country.
Kevin Courtney, Joint Secretary-General, told the Observer that the NEU would vote for its members to measure reactions unless the government offered “significantly” above the 3% that Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi proposed to beginning of the year.
“If there isn’t a significant 3% improvement, which will leave an 8% gap with inflation alone this year, we can’t avoid a vote,” he said.
“The mood among the teachers has changed. Last year the topic was mainly workload. This year is workload and salary.
“Teachers are making calculations to see what their hourly wage is. Salary has already fallen by 20% compared to 2010. ‘
An industrial action warning notice at London’s Westminster Underground Station (Image: PA)
NASUWT, another teachers’ union, also warned that it would vote members on industrial action from November in England, Scotland and Wales.
Millions of health workers will soon receive their annual salary offer and it is feared that it will not reach inflation, which currently stands at 9.2%.
Unison, the largest union representing NHS staff, stressed that the wage supply could lead to a mass exodus of employees combined with industrial action in already extended hospitals.
Its general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The government has a simple choice. Or make a reasonable salary, investing in staff and services and reducing patient delays.
“Or there is a risk of a possible dispute, a growing shortage of labor and greater suffering for the sick.”
🚨BREAKING: If teacher pay awards do not meet our demands, @NASUWT will vote for members to take industrial action from November in England, Scotland and Wales.
– NASUWT (@NASUWT) June 18, 2022
It comes when half of the British railway lines will be completely closed during next week’s strikes.
As wage talks do not make any headway, industrial action is expected to wreak havoc between 20 and 26 June.
Thousands marched through central London yesterday demanding measures on the cost of living crisis, including NHS workers.
Protesters carried placards saying “Cut the war, not welfare” and “End energy poverty, insulate homes now.”
Others read “Non-nuclear nurses” and “Don’t get angry, get started.”
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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused railway, maritime and transport (RMT) workers’ unions of “taking off” for industrial actions that will upset millions of people across the country.
He told Sky News this morning: “It’s a big mistake. Unions have been fighting this strike all along. This strike is totally unnecessary.
“It will upset millions of people: students doing their GCSEs and A – levels, people trying to get to hospitals to try operations that have been postponed, perhaps, during coronavirus.
‘It’s disastrous. There is no way to behave on the railroad. This has no advantage.
The MP later told the BBC Sunday Morning that the action would cost between £ 100m and £ 150m a week.
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