The RMT Union are striking for a fair pay deal, no compulsory redundancies and no change to terms and conditions. Grant Shapps is dismissive and will not enter the negotiations so the strike is sure to drag on. Barristers are striking for a new deal in the way they’re paid and they will not return to work at all until their demands are met. Royal Mail workers are on strike for more pay and the owners are attempting to break their strike action by employing agency workers. The Royal College of Nurses is balloting its members and recommending strike action in the Autum and Winter. If the nurses ballot for strike action, it will be the first time they will have been on strike in England. Civil Servants are being balloted for strike action as I type and the Fire Brigades Union is recommending strike action to its members following the rejection of a 2% offer.
Teachers Union NASUWT is committed to balloting its members for strike action if its demands for a 12% pay rise aren’t met, and their members have been clear in their rejection of the 5% offer already made to the Union. The GMB Union are balloting its members on strike action, and Local Authority Workers have until Friday 21st October 2022 to register their vote. Workers at the UK’s biggest container port Felixstowe, are on strike as I type and it looks like bosses are digging in for a protracted standoff. BT and Openreach workers will walk out on the 30th and 31st of August and this dipute will probably drag on as BT Bosses are unwilling to meet their workers demands. Hospital workers represented by the Unite Union will be balloted shortly on strike action, their members include hospital porters, canteen and laundry staff. All this potential and actual strike action is down to the fact that inflation in the UK stands at 10.1% and pay offers so far have been in the region of 3% to 5%, effectively a real pay cut of more than 5%. Yet inflation is forecast to climb even higher in the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. There is very little goodwill towards the UK Government now, and the new Prime Minister will have their work cut out trying to maintain any semblance of order over the coming months.