LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) – British ministers will meet with trade unions on Monday to end a wave of strikes in everything from health care to transport as workers demand higher wages.
With wage increases failing to keep up with double-digit inflation and now at their highest level in 40 years, nurses, ambulance workers and railroad workers are among those striking and teachers are also voting on measures.
The teachers’ union, which is due to announce the results of the strike elections later this week, will meet with the education minister, the health minister will meet with unions representing ambulances and nurses, and the transport minister will meet with railways. Union.
The government has argued that higher inflation-adjusted wages would only encourage further inflation and further raise interest rates and mortgage payments.
“We have always said that governments like to talk about wage demands and wage issues based on what is reasonable, what is responsible and what is affordable for the country. I was On Sunday, Sunak said it was ready to discuss raising nurses’ wages in the UK.
Unions have said they will end the strike in the coming weeks only if proposals are made to resolve the dispute over this year’s wage deal while the government considers negotiating wage increases next year.
When asked about media reports that the government was considering making temporary payments to nurses to help with living expenses, Sunak declined to comment on the details.
