Paralyzed trains, closed schools, deserted airports due to paucity of buses and officials going on strike. The United Kingdom is experiencing the largest mobilization of workers in eleven years. The British demand an increase in wages due to the rapidly rising inflation which reaches 10.5%.
First revision: 02/01/2023 – 11:22
The strike has affected 20,000 schools in England and Wales, the first day of mobilization in the region which has already announced seven days of strikes for the months of February and March.
This movement by primary and secondary school teachers coincided with others in various sectors such as a strike called by train drivers and employees of 150 universities and 100,000 officials at ministries, ports and airports. In total, it is estimated that there are 500,000 people on strike.
“There is no general strike in the United Kingdom, however, practically every day since the summer there is some disruption in the public sector with wear and tear taking its toll on citizens. If it’s not subways, it’s trains And if it’s not the postal system, it’s the nurses,” RFI correspondent Daniel Postico reports from London.
While each region has its own specific demands, all are united in demanding a wage increase in the face of inflation that has been above 10% for months (10.5% in December) and many families have no other option than food banks .
100 days of Sunak government in Pangu country
This great day of protest coincides with the eve of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s 100 days in power amid a severe economic crisis and the third anniversary of Brexit, which only 20% of Britons consider to be well-managed.
According to a December YouGov poll, if a referendum on Britain’s departure from the EU was held today, 56% would vote against it.
It is the first time so many people have joined the strike since 2011 and 2012, when the population protested against David Cameron’s government promoting pension reform.
