A wave of economic unrest in the style of the 1970s threatens to spread from railways to public services, as unions representing NHS teachers and workers warn of possible industrial action on wages.
With the country preparing for the rail strikes on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, which will see half of the network closed, the largest teachers’ union, the National Education Union (NEU), told the Observer that unless he receives a salary offer much closer to inflation. On Wednesday, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi will announce his plan to vote for its 450,000 members. The move could lead to strikes in schools in England in the autumn, the union said.
Another turning point could come this week when millions of NHS workers up to the level of senior nursing receive their annual salary offer, which is expected to be substantially below inflation, which is currently in the 9.2%.
The country’s largest union, Unison, which represents NHS staff, said the government was now faced with a choice between offering a deal close to inflation or provoking a mass exodus of staff along with possible industrial action in the United States. hospitals, at a time when they are already very busy.
A message on a T-shirt while Unison members take part in the TUC national demonstration in central London. Photo: Yui Mok / PA
The prospect of public service strikes has grown as inflation climbs to double figures, but the Treasury is desperate to keep public spending and the public sector paying the bill.
The sense of crisis deepened last week when the Bank of England said inflation would rise to 11% this autumn, even after interest rate hikes, which will make the increase in mortgage payments will add to the crisis of the cost of living. Final offers to teachers, NHS workers and millions of others in the public sector are expected to be between 3% and 4%.
Kevin Courtney, the general secretary general of the NEU, said last night that unless the government offers “significantly” above the 3% that Zahawi floated earlier this year, the union would vote on its members to measure the reactions, and then could hold a second vote specifically on the industry. action.
“If there is no significant improvement in the 3%, which will leave a gap of 8% only with inflation this year, we can not avoid a vote. The mood among 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. Tensions are rising. One in eight of the new graduate teachers is leaving in their first year.”
Last night, another teachers’ union, the NASUWT, joined these vague threats, saying that if their wage demands were not met, they would also vote for members of industrial action from November in England. Scotland and Wales.
Unison Secretary General Christina McAnea said the quality of NHS services in England was at stake because staff would leave if they did not receive a fair pay rise. “The government has a simple choice. Either it’s a reasonable wage, investing in staff and services and reducing patient delays, “he said. .
Every day I have kids in my class who go back to homes where they don’t have enough to eat Frankie Brown, a teacher
Yesterday, thousands of people gathered at a TUC event in central London to demand action from the government on the cost of living crisis. Ben Robinson, 25, who works for a charity, and Frankie Brown, 24, a teacher, were at the protest. Brown said, “Every day, kids in my class go back to homes where they don’t have enough to eat.”
Robinson said: “We have residents coming into our offices who choose between feeding their children, not themselves, and paying rent and heating. This is not an option that anyone should have to face in one of the largest economies in the world. “
Network Rail said yesterday that it planned to resume talks on Sunday with the Railway, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on what is described as the biggest stoppage in the rail network for more than three decades.
Tim Shoveller, chief negotiator for Network Rail, said rail chiefs were willing to avoid an “unnecessary and damaging” strike over wages, jobs and conditions. Important sources say that some progress has been made in the talks, but the RMT said yesterday that the strikes will continue as planned.
RMT Secretary-General Mick Lynch said: “Despite the best efforts of our negotiators, no viable solutions have been created for the disputes.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said railways were on the verge of a major disruption that would cause misery across the country: “Children who pass the exams will face the added distraction of changing their plans. And vulnerable people with long-awaited hospital appointments may have no choice but to cancel. “
In the face of the railway strikes, Eurostar has become the last operator to cancel trains: a total of 41 have been canceled between Tuesday and next Saturday, endangering breaks in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The company said it was seeing “unprecedented levels of contact via phone, email and social media” after its announcement.
Gatwick Express trains will not run on strike days, but limited Southern and Thameslink services between London Victoria or London Bridge and Brighton will call at West Sussex Airport.
Most operators plan some sort of skeleton service during the three days of the strike: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 7.30am to 6.30pm. But Merseyrail said today that none of its trains would run during those days, nor any buses. The only other operator that has canceled all services so far is Caledonian Sleeper.
Shapps said workers were carrying out an “act of self-harm” when they left, that union leaders were urging them to do so “under false pretenses”, and that the strikes were “the last” they should have. to do.