Border Force employees are the most recent to announce strike dates, joining the train, bus, and roadway workers, postal workers, teachers, nurses, and paramedics.
As additional industries prepare to strike during the holiday season, union leaders have accused officials of stonewalling demands for real compensation discussions.
Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC, and Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison, assert that ministers are refusing to negotiate in good faith.
In a united letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, they asserted that no public sector employees want to go on strike this winter.
Their letter continues, “They are devoted public employees who take great pleasure in their work and the communities they serve, but the government has left them with no other option.”
Good industrial relations necessitate both parties’ willingness to negotiate in good faith and engage in open dialogue.
Wednesday, Border Force employees declared they would go on strike from December 23 to December 26 and from December 28 to December 31, putting Christmas travel at risk.
Airports in Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, and Manchester, as well as the port of Newhaven, will be affected by the walkouts.
Train, bus, and road employees have already scheduled winter strikes over salary and working conditions; postal workers, teachers, nurses, and ambulance workers are all participating.
Ignoring the primary problem is not negotiating
The letter to Mr. Hunt stated, “When your cabinet colleagues have met with union representatives, they have repeatedly refused to discuss public sector compensation.
“A negotiation is not taking place if the key topic on the table is ignored.”
The report stated that the government could no longer “hide behind” pay review panels, adding, “If ministers sincerely wish to resolve these disagreements, they must address the root causes.”
“With CPI inflation above 11% and RPI inflation exceeding 14%, frontline employees face another significant salary cut in real terms.”
The two union representatives demanded an immediate meeting with the chancellor, stating, “Now is not the time for smoke and mirrors; now is the moment for true dialogue.”
Sunak ponders “strong” new anti-strike legislation
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated on Wednesday that his response to public sector salary demands had been “fair.”
During Prime Minister’s Questions, however, he issued the following warning: “If union leaders continue to be unreasonable, I must safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the British citizens.
Since becoming prime minister, I have worked to enact new, stringent legislation to safeguard people from this disturbance.
He must contend with unions over the rules, which may include minimum service levels and a ban on strikes by emergency services.
Although a spokesperson for the prime minister stated that they would be implemented “as quickly as feasible,” it is unlikely that they will be in place before winter.
The Minimum Service Levels Bill, to which Mr. Sunak appeared to be referring, is currently blocked in parliament and MPs have not yet begun debating it.
Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the Unite union, stated that her members are “ready industrially and financially” to combat any additional measures.
Offshore oil workers join the roster of striking employees.
Approximately 146 offshore oil workers have begun two days of strike action at the Petrofac Repsol North Sea installation.
Their disagreement with Petrofac involves payments, below-inflation salary increases, medicals, mileage, and stand-in tasks.
Seventy-six members have also begun a strike in protest of the working rotation at the BP installations operated by Petrofac.
Unite industrial officer John Boland stated, “The workers concerned in these issues are resolutely committed to continuing continued action until their demands are met.”
“Not only can Petrofac not afford to pay and settle this disagreement, but they should do it immediately so that workers on these installations may resume their duties.”
