According to Paul Nowak, issues are often settled through discussions, but the government has refused to negotiate.
The incoming general secretary of the TUC has stated that there might be a “rolling wave” of industrial action next year, with unions coordinating strikes on the same day.
Paul Nowak has assumed the role of leader of the Trades Union Congress amid the largest outbreak of industrial unrest in a generation, with the leaders of health, rail, civil service, teaching, and postal unions growing increasingly incensed at the lack of involvement by government ministers.
Mr. Nowak told that the strikes “might cease tomorrow if the government was willing to engage in genuine and reasonable compensation discussions.”
He warned of greater disruption if ministers do not come to the table, stating that unions have a “duty” to help striking employees, “which entails coordinated industrial action in some instances.”
“In the new year, our unions will continue to discuss how to best support and coordinate unions taking strike action,” he stated.
In certain instances, this may result in unions going on strike on the same day, while in others, industrial action will occur in waves.
The interview occurred as railway cleaners and traffic officers were the most recent sectors to join the nationwide strike action.
In December, nurses, ambulance workers, and other NHS professionals joined rail, bus, and postal workers on strike over pay and working conditions.
Teachers, government servants, employees of National Highways, airport baggage handlers, and employees of homeless charities have also walked off the job, while Border Force workers based at several airports are continuing their strike action until New Year’s Eve.
Thursday, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stated that there was “no magic wand” to provide the funds for the above-inflation pay increases unions are demanding, and he rejected Mr. Nowak’s call for ministers to negotiate.
Mr. Wallace stated that he would not disregard the government’s acceptance of pay review committees’ recommendations to provide many striking workers with below-inflation pay raises.
“We will not return to the 1970s when trade union barons believed they ran the government,” he declared.
“They used to convene in Downing Street and communicate their plans to the Labour government of the day. We are not going back to that point. We will not be held up for ransom.
“The trade unions can negotiate with their employers to resolve. That is the most significant factor. There is no magic wand that can generate money that the country lacks.”
There is no evidence that public sector compensation drives inflation
Earlier, Mr. Nowak stated that the wage disputes will only stop if there is a way forward, and that will only occur if the government negotiates.
He stated that there is “absolutely no proof” that public sector pay “drives inflation in this country” and that the government should be more concerned with “what’s happening with profits.”
So earnings increased by 31% in the past year, dividends paid to shareholders are increasing three times faster than salaries, it was a good year for bonuses in the City of London, and the government chose to remove the restriction on bankers’ bonuses. They had quite distinct political options. These options are ineffective for working people.”
To commemorate his appointment, the TUC released new research indicating that workers are experiencing the longest real pay compression in recent history.
According to its report, workers have lost an average of £20,000 in real wages since 2008 as a result of pay not keeping pace with inflation, and this loss will reach £24,000 by 2025.
Since 2008, nurses have lost £42,000 in actual earnings, midwives have lost £56,000, and paramedics have lost £56,000, according to the TUC, and workers face another year of “pay agony.”
The government is “sabotaging” the negotiations.
Mr. Nowak stated that after more than a decade of salary cuts, striking workers were “left with no choice” and accused ministers of “sabotaging efforts to achieve agreements.”
About the rail conflict, he stated that requirements imposed “at the last minute” prevented a compromise from being reached.
Mr. Nowak follows Frances O’Grady as general secretary, and he has stated that his top aim is to develop a “larger, stronger, and more diverse” labor movement.
Earlier, he issued a call to the government and companies to “engage with unions to stop the living standards nightmare in Britain.”
“Workers in the United Kingdom are slated for two decades of lost wages. This is the longest earnings squeeze in contemporary history.
“We cannot continue this way. We cannot have a nation in which nurses must use food banks while City bankers receive unlimited bonuses.”
In an interview with the I daily, he stated that unions may boycott negotiations with pay review authorities the next year.
Pay review bodies are comprised of subject-matter specialists with no political ties who gather evidence from a variety of sources, including employees and trade unions.
However, the bodies are selected by ministers, and their trustworthiness is questioned.
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents Border Force employees, told that strike action is likely to become “coordinated and synchronized.”
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), told that he would back synchronized strikes.
“If individuals are confronting a collective assault on their quality of living, why wouldn’t they work together to repel that assault?” he asked.
The FBU has polled its members for strike action, with results anticipated by the end of January.
According to the union, the highest-paid fire chiefs earn more than six times the wage of an average fireman.
Additional strike dates announced
Meanwhile, Dockland Light Railway (DLR) cleaners will go on strike on December 30 and 31 over pay, schedules, and working conditions. They are advocating for a minimum wage of £15 per hour, paid sick leave, adequate vacations, and pensions.
On Friday, traffic officers and control room personnel will also begin a two-day strike.
