Railway depot in Ely, Cambridgeshire (UK), Thursday January 5, 2023. JOE GIDDENS / AP
The British hadn’t known that for three decades. Since the summer, major strikes have regularly shaken the country, especially in the public sector. In order to make it easier for users to find their way around, the media had to set up strike calendars.
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This week, from January 3rd to 7th, two unions took turns bringing trains to a standstill, with a few days with virtually no traffic; on Friday the road inspectors and driver’s license inspectors also went; Tuesday 10th January it’s the turn of the teachers in Scotland, the next day it’s the turn of the paramedics in England. The following week, nurses resumed their historic movement: in December 2022, they had staged their first strike since their union was formed in 1906 and were planning two new days of action.
The unions do not hide the fact that they are coordinating so that the strikes follow one another. “The aim is to achieve maximum disruption,” said one trade unionist on condition of anonymity.
trend reversal
The multiple conflicts even tend to intensify. “Our members have never been more determined,” says Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, representing train drivers. He speaks of a dispute that could last until May, while the first strikes began in June 2022. “Unions are preparing to hold out at least until spring,” adds Kevin Rowan of the Trade Union Congress (TUC). main union federation.
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This is a major turning point for UK unions. Between 1979 and 1990 Margaret Thatcher fought violently to bring her to her knees, which led to gigantic strikes – more than a year for miners in 1984, more than a year for book workers in 1986. The Lady of fer had succeeded , notably through the introduction of two laws that are among the most restrictive in Europe. From now on, a strike can only be organized after a secret ballot of employees, which in a large company can take months. In addition, secondary strikes, i.e. solidarity strikes with another company, are prohibited. For example, postal workers cannot step down to support railroad workers.
In this context, trade unions have experienced a deep decline. Union membership has halved from 13.2 million in 1979 to 6.5 million in 2021. As for the strikes, their number has halved.
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