Faced with major social movements and blamed for inaction, the UK government flexed its muscles on strikers by announcing on Thursday the introduction of minimum service in several sectors, at the risk of further exacerbating social tensions.
Railway workers, paramedics, nurses, border guards… The UK has been rocked in recent months by movements unprecedented since the Thatcher era in the 1980s for better wages and inflation in excess of 10%, which is seriously threatening the cost of living affected.
They were reinforced at the end of the year amid the Conservative government’s determination to reject the increases demanded by the strikers at the time, leading to massive disruption in several sectors, notably rail transport and the healthcare system in particular, already exhausted.
The Conservative government, struggling in the polls after a year of political scandals and economic deterioration, has opted primarily to counter the impact of the strikes by mobilizing the army during the year-end holidays to replace the strikers, and promised to “be tough”. New laws”.
On Thursday he therefore confirmed that he would “quickly” introduce legislation aimed at introducing a minimum service in several sensitive sectors.
“There must be a minimum level of security that people can rely on, even in the event of a strike, particularly in the health sector,” Enterprise Secretary Grant Shapps said in multiple media outlets.
“The other modern European economies all have minimum security levels… and we will now legislate them too,” he added.
That minimum service would be required in firefighters, ambulance attendants and the railroad sector, according to a document released by the executive branch.
The government intends to have unions and employers debate to set these “minimum safety levels” but “we will give (legislators) the power to enforce them if necessary,” the minister said.
At the same time, the government announced that it would “invite” the unions to “honest and constructive talks” about wage developments for the coming year.
“Attack on Workers”
Social movements and now the health system crisis with patients waiting for hours for ambulances or in the emergency corridors are dominating the news. Doctors call for emergency action to avoid unnecessary deaths, while unions urge government to engage in dialogue.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tried to regain the initiative in his first speech of the year on Wednesday but made no concrete announcement, leaving many observers unsatisfied. He merely claimed that the door is “always open” for dialogue, but that these discussions should be based on what is “appropriate” and “affordable” financially for the country.
The introduction of minimum service unsurprisingly sparked an outcry from unions.
“When we thought the government couldn’t go any lower, ministers say they are seeking agreements to stop the strikes by declaring them illegal,” responded the PCS union, promising to “resist.”
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak accused him of “attacking the right to strike”.
“This is an attack on workers and it is an attack on one of the oldest freedoms” in the UK, he added, regretting that this announcement “offers nothing more to help with the wage and cost of living crisis”.
On Thursday morning, Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer also criticized the prospect of such a measure.
“I don’t think legislation is the way to end social movements. You have to sit down at the table and make compromises,” he said in his speech at the start of school.
Two years later, ahead of the next general election, in which Labor is favored against the weary Conservatives after nearly 13 years in power, he also castigated the “platitudes” of the speech Rishi Sunak had delivered the day before at the same point, in which he was vague made promises on immigration, health and the economy, but with no concrete action.