Rail impact at Christmas to be 'minimal', says Mick Lynch, as fresh strike begins Updates
With strikes affecting many pockets of people’s lives – from the post they send, to their travel and healthcare, the pressure on the government to resolve them is mounting.
The government is digging its heels in, arguing that the pay rises unions want could fuel inflation and push up prices even more. Ministers are also considering tougher new anti-strike laws in the new year. We know for example they are exploring the idea of significantly restricting or even banning the right of some employees – like ambulance workers – from striking and whether to expand the legal amount of service that some workers have to provide on strike days.Some have said the government should improve its pay offer for nurses.
There are likely two calculations here – one that these strikes will not go away any time soon unless ministers agree to talk to unions about pay. They’re refusing to do this at the moment, even if they say they will talk about things like how to make the NHS a better place to work. Secondly, some MPs are conscious there is public sympathy for workers like nurses when the cost of living is so high – and they are asking to be paid 5% more than the rate at which goods, services and mortgages are going up by.
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