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Hundreds of thousands of workers will go on strike on Budget Day in what threatens to be the biggest strike since the current wave of industrial action began last year. Members of various unions will take action, organizing hundreds of pickets across the country amid ongoing anger over issues including wages, jobs, pensions and conditions. Among the strikers on Wednesday were teachers, university professors, civil servants, trainee doctors, London Underground drivers and BBC journalists.
Despite ongoing talks between the unions and the government in Westminster, the public sector strikes remain deadlocked.
Some of the strikes, such as those by teachers, will only take place in England, as progress has been made in Wales and Scotland.
Ministers do not seem interested in giving their own staff a fair pay rise to help them through the cost of living crisis and beyond.
The general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, Mark Serwotka, has warned that the action is only the beginning of strikes that could last until the end of the year.
He said: “On Budget Day, we call on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to give our hard-working members a fair pay raise.
“They gave us a 2% wage increase while food inflation was 16% last week. 40,000 officials use the food banks and 45,000 claim work assignments because they are very poor.
“The government can stop these strikes today by putting money on the table for our members.
“If they don't, our action will intensify. Where the Westminster government is directly involved in disputes, very little progress has been made.
"Shamefully, ministers don't seem interested in giving their own staff a fair raise to help them through the cost of living crisis and beyond."
Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Assistant General Secretaries of the National Education Union, said: “We don't want to go on strike, we want to be in the classroom, teaching and supporting children and young people.
“It remains a regret that our members have to strike, but we know that parents and the public understand the gravity of the situation around school funding and teacher hiring and retention.
“The NEU, as we have always said, is ready to enter into talks at any time, and to the extent that, through negotiation, a reasonable offer from the Government is made, we will suspend the strike while the offer is presented to the members.
“This is exactly what happened last week in Wales. Gillian Keegan (Education Secretary) needs to take inspiration from the Welsh Government book, stop playing politics and move on to serious negotiations.
Passengers have been urged to check before traveling on the London Underground due to the disruption caused by a strike by members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.
In a letter to the Mayor of London, RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "As you are aware, at this time London Underground officials are imposing new listings at our tube stations, based on the removal of 600 jobs at the stations.
“In January, I wrote to express my serious concerns about the impact of these cuts on security. Now understaffed, managers appear to be abusing exemptions to circumvent agreed minimum levels of security staff at tube stations.
“This means that stations are now opening with very few or, in some cases, no staff. I have called for a moratorium on these station staff reductions while an investigation is conducted, but managers are proceeding with the use of the new lists.
Aslef's Finn Brennan said the blame lay with the government's failure to adequately fund public transport in the capital.
He warned that more strikes are "inevitable" unless the dispute is resolved.
Glynn Barton, Transport for London's chief operating officer, said: "Customers should check before they travel and are advised to expect very limited or no service on the Tube on Wednesday.
“Most TfL services will run as normal but may be subject to last-minute changes, including non-stops at some stations shared with the London Underground.
"Disruptions to the metro network are expected on Thursday morning."
Members of the National Union of Journalists who work at the local BBC branch in England will stage a 24-hour strike against program cuts.
Meanwhile, the British Medical Association's junior doctors will continue a three-day strike they launched on Monday over pay issues.
NHS Providers chief executive Sir Julian Hartley said: "So far it has been difficult for the NHS, but the health service is still there for patients."
“Unlike previous strikes, we note that there has been no relaxation in the demand for care.
“Senior doctors are stepping into the breach, but it's not business as usual. For hospitalized patients, this means that admissions take longer and the discharge process is also slower.
“Delays in ambulance transfers are also increasing.
“We are seeing increased levels of coverage by senior mental health and community service physicians, but this is not sustainable and there is concern among trusted 'ardent goodwill' leaders.
“The planning effort involved in preparing for the strike and maintaining the services was enormous and took the leaders' time away from other tasks. We can't go on like this. The ripple effects of a three-day strike will be felt for a long time.
"We need the government and the doctors' unions to come to an agreement quickly."
Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect, said: “Our public sector members have seen their incomes drop by as much as 26% in the last 13 years and their jobs are taken for granted – they've had enough.
“Poor pay and declining morale pose an existential threat to the ability of the public service to function and to our ability to regulate and deliver on government priorities.
“Bills are skyrocketing and wages are falling further and further behind the private sector, leaving our members no choice but to take industrial action.
“We will continue our campaign until the government presents a significant offer. If this is not done quickly, we risk not having any more public services to protect.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said in an open letter to parents: "This industrial action will mean more disruption to raising children and also to your life, whether it's at work, arranging child custody or the modification of other plans".
“I am extremely disappointed that many young people are once again losing valuable time learning with their teachers and friends, especially after their education has been significantly disrupted during the pandemic.
“It is compounded by the fact that this strike is totally unnecessary. As I told NEU three weeks ago, I want to come to the table and engage in serious discussions about teacher pay and other issues to resolve disputes.
“My only condition was that the strike be called off so that these discussions could take place in good faith and without interruption.
“It was the same offer, and the same condition, made to the unions representing nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists. These unions accepted this offer, called off their strikes, and are now negotiating on behalf of their members in private.
“The NEU seems rather focused on strikes and all the unnecessary disruptions that go along with them.
"This morning I have written to the unions again urging them to hold these talks on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. All they have to do is stop the strikes that are unnecessary and do not benefit the people."
PA wire
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