UK’s Conservative Party is having a difficult time managing the country in times of exceptional crisis. Hundreds of thousands of workers will go on strike.
The United Kingdom is facing its worst internal crisis in decades, if not more. It all can be traced as far back as the Brexit referendum, which marked the start of ever worse turmoil. Now, hundreds of thousands of workers have voted to strike and demand better conditions as well as answers from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Last month, British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned, ending the shortest tenure of that position in the country’s history. This event showed the dire state of the Conservative Party, which should remain in power until 2025. Rishi Sunak inherited the unenviable job of finding a solution to the UK’s unsolvable economic and political crisis.
Inflation continues to mount, higher than any country in Europe (again, because of Brexit), and workers conditions have plummeted. The UK, much like the rest of the Western world, is heading to a recession with its feet on the accelerator.
Sunak needs to do something, but any action will not be met favorably. He either decides to raise taxes or to cut public spending, in any case slumping the British economy and plummeting the Pound.
And the British workers, exhausted from the Brexit effects, from Covid and from the war in Ukraine, decided that enough is enough.
Strikes all across the UK
The PCS (Public Commercial Services) Union announced that 126 areas voted in favor of strike actions. That amounts to over 100.000 public workers ranging all across the country. The union said 86.2% of its members voted for industrial actions, the highest percentage in its history.
Even nurses, for the first time since their union was funded 106 years ago, decided to go on strike. Much of the NHS (National Health Services) will be affected, as nurses demand higher wages and better conditions for patients.
The strike wave comes after Sunak’s government announced to cut civil workers by 90.000. As we said, Sunak has to take money from somewhere, but he will also have to face the unpopular consequences.
“Our members have spoken and if the government fails to listen to them, we’ll have no option than to launch a prolonged programme of industrial action reaching into every corner of public life,” said Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary.
Strikers’ demands are no cuts in the workforce, a 10% pay rise, better pensions and job security. Further details will be announced next week.
So far, the government has not commented on the strikes, but the Conservative Party seems to be taking the quick way out.
