Strikes for wage adjustments have increased in the UK this summer (northern hemisphere), and new layoffs are planned for late August in the face of high inflation and slump power. British unions RMT, TSSA and Unite have called for another strike for rail workers this Thursday (18) and Saturday (20).
Joining tens of thousands of workers, the movement began in June and represents the largest strike in the industry in the last 30 years.
During this time of school holidays, Network Rail, the rail network’s public administrator, warned that the train would travel with only one of the five trains and asked the British to “use trains only if absolutely necessary”.
On Friday (the 19th), the entire London transport network will be practically paralyzed and will remain weak throughout the weekend.
On Sunday, the 21st stevedors in the port of Felixstowe (east England), the country’s largest cargo port, will begin an eight-day strike that threatens to disrupt most cargo traffic.
The slogan is the same everywhere: workers need wage adjustments to match inflation, which reached 10.1% in 12 months in July and could exceed 13% in October, according to Banco da England estimates.
Sharon Graham, Secretary General of Unite, one of the nation’s leading unions, said purchasing power was being consumed at a record rate as prices rose, “revealing a vital need to defend the value of wages”.
First strike in 35 years
More than 115,000 postal workers called by the CWU industry union are planning a four-day strike between late August and early September, with 40,000 workers at telecom operator BT going on their first strike in 35 years.
Similar actions are planned or have already taken place on Amazon deposits, among criminal lawyers, and among garbage collectors.
“Companies are doing everything they can to help their employees get through this period,” the CBI employers’ union said on Tuesday. Said. But the majority cannot afford to raise enough wages to compensate for inflation,” he said.
Some strikes were avoided at the last minute, thanks to salary increases that were deemed satisfactory.
Employees of a fuel company that threatened to stop traffic at London Heathrow International Airport called off the strike.
British Airways’ ground crew, who wanted to reinstate minimum wages that were cut by 10% during the pandemic, accepted a 13% hike and withdrew from the pause.
But the railways continue the strike as negotiations with a group of private operators are frozen.
“Wretched” offers
Unions also condemn the government’s decision to change the law to allow temporary workers to replace strikers.
According to Unite, London Harrods’ famous luxury department store was “the first company to threaten its employees” to apply for the law after employees voted on the strike proposal.
Social movements may continue after the summer, extending to education and health workers whose unions consider 4% pay raise offers as “miserable”.
(With information from AFP)
source: Noticias
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