Britain has had a difficult time of it in 2022, emerging from two years in the grip of the coronavirus only to be confronted by a dire cost of living crisis defined by runaway inflation and rocketing energy bills exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Now, as Christmas approaches, we find ourselves in a new “winter of discontent” with the country’s unions, representing workers from a wide range of public-facing professions, concluding that they have no choice but to undertake industrial action as their calls for improved pay and working conditions go unanswered while rising prices erode earnings.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has organised strike days throughout December and into January, as 40,000 workers down tools at one of the busiest periods of the year in a bid to force improved terms.

“Despite every effort made by our negotiators, it is clear that the government is directly interfering with our attempts to reach a settlement,” it has said of its latest walkouts.

“The union suspended previous strike action in good faith to allow for intensive negotiations to resolve the dispute. Yet Network Rail have failed to make an improved offer on jobs, pay and conditions for our members during the last two weeks of talks.”

Источник