Adam Boulton: Is Britain’s year of strikes headed for an uprising?

Published

2 years ago

November 25, 2022

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At this year’s Trade Union Congress (TUC), union leaders representing 5.5 million members called for “a special working group of willing unions which would organise coordinated action over pay and terms and conditions where possible with all TUC unions, including further demonstrations, national and regional rallies, and coordinated industrial action where possible”.

Mick Lynch, who is currently leading the highest profile strike by railway workers, declared: “I would support a general strike and co-ordinated action.”

Asked on Sky News about a general strike, Sharon Graham, general secretary of UNITE – one of the biggest unions – told Sophy Ridge: “If there are a number of strikes happening at the same time, people can call it what they like, quite frankly.”

Heading into this winter, the UK is facing its biggest wave of strikes for at least a decade, involving action by more than a million workers in the public sector led by the major trade unions.

Do these powerful calls for “synchronised action” mean the UK will soon plunge into a “general strike” to match the historic General Strike which took place just under a century ago in May 1926?

Only the general council of the TUC can call a general strike, and union bosses sit on the council.

Yet for all the rhetoric so far, there is considerable practical reluctance to escalate industrial actions in multiple sectors in what would turn into a formal confrontation with the government.

From nurses to teachers: The year in strikes

Come what may, 2022 will go down as a year of strikes.

Some 560,00 working days were lost in August and September – almost twice the total for whole years recently – and industrial actions are mounting.

In pursuit of their pay-claim, 40,000 members of the RMT union have announced more one-day strikes over the Christmas period on 13, 14, 16 and 17 of December, and 3, 4, 6, and 7 January 2023. There will also be an overtime ban in the weeks in between. Train drivers in ASLEF plan strikes for other days.

For the first time ever and following a yes vote in a ballot, the Royal College of Nursing is announcing strike days by more than 300,000 nurses. And 400,000 NHS workers in UNISON are currently voting on strike action, with the result due in January.

Christina McAnea, the general secretary of UNISON, said recently: “Co-ordinated action unites us, and we have a single goal: end this pay crisis in this country.”

• The Royal College of Midwives is also consulting its members. So are the junior doctors in the British Medical Association (BMA)

• 70,000 in the University and College Lecturers union (ULU) walked out this week

• 115,000 postal workers in the Communications workers union are continuing strikes from November into December

• 400,000 teachers and support staff in the NASUWT – National Education Union (NEU) are holding a strike ballot, with the result due in the new year. The separate Scottish teachers union is already taking action

• 100,000 civil servants in the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have voted heavily for industrial action

• There are also disputes involving airline ground staff in the GMB, some dockworkers, London bus drivers, BT and Outreach staff amongst others

Different strikes, same cause

These disputes all have the same root cause: UK inflation is now running at 11%.

The unions want above inflation pay awards to combat the cost of living crisis. Already, they point out, their members’ earnings have declined in real terms, and are now worth what they were in 2008.

Fourteen years is the longest period of wage stagnation in modern times. If they were to catch up in real terms, pay awards would have to be 15% or more.

Workers in the private sector are currently settling for below-inflation increases averaging around 6%, but many public sector employers have yet to match that with their offers.

Secondary complaints by the unions include protests at what they regard as the privatisation of public services and proposed changes in working practices which, they believe, would adversely impact conditions for those involved.

Employers often want to attach strings demanding changed working practices to potential pay awards.

What history tells us about general strikes

Demands for more pay to avoid falling behind and against poorer working conditions were also central grievances in the 1926 General Strike, though in much starker form.

Then, 1.2 million miners in the privately owned (but strategically vital and government monitored) coal industry were locked out after opposing wage reductions and worse contracts. Eventually, negotiations between the unions, employers and outside advisors broke down.

Rail, transport, printing, dock and iron and steelworkers joined the General Strike in support of the miners’ claim of “not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day”.

At its height, some 1.75 million workers were striking.

The Conservative government led by Stanley Baldwin was well-prepared for the strike. Special constables to ensure “the maintenance of supplies” had been recruited, although the proposal of then-chancellor Winston Churchill to deploy armed troops was rejected.

Middle class volunteers acted as strikebreakers, ostensibly to preserve essential services.

After nine days, the TUC General Council called off the General Strike. The miners lost and had to accept longer hours and lower wages.

The coal industry continued the decline, which would run all the way through full nationalisation to the Miners Strike of 1984-1985 during Mrs Thatcher’s premiership.

Historians say the General Strike has to be seen in the context of genuine fears of revolution in the wake of the communist take-over of Russia a few years previously. The Labour Party was only just establishing itself as a party of government and then, as now, it did not fully support the strikes.

Sunak’s less confrontational approach

This has not stopped Rishi Sunak repeatedly demanding that Sir Keir Starmer should tell Labour’s “union paymasters” to call off the strikes.

In practice, Sunak’s government seems to be taking a less confrontational approach than his immediate predecessors.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper readily agreed to meet with the RMT. Mick Lynch described their encounter as “positive” though he said he was no closer to calling off the Christmas strikes.

Society is much less polarised about the strikes now than it was in 1926. The Conservative government may have changed the law to allow railway companies to bring in agency workers to keep services running, but they have so far declined to do so, even if such substitute workers were readily available.

There was no NHS in 1926. The centrality of public health workers in the current disputes has increased public sympathy. After a rolling dispute with health workers back in 1982, Mrs Thatcher won re-election and then gave the nurses an annual pay award of up to 14%.

In polls, around 60% support the current strikes, with between 24% and 33% opposing them. But less than half agree that pay awards should be as big as the unions are asking for.

The RMT risks losing public sympathy with its strikes disrupting the Christmas festivities, including “Black Eye Friday”, the biggest day for office and work parties.

After two Christmases wiped out by COVID, the hospitality industry in London alone reckons the disruption will cost it some £300m, with an estimated national bill of £1.2bn. The media-savvy Mick Lynch has been forced to deny he is a “Grinch” on national TV.

In these straightened times, the UK is by no means the only country being hit by waves of industrial protests. South Korea, Bolivia, Portugal, Greece, Italy, and France have all recently been hit by national waves of cost-of-living strikes.

The US Congress passed a law to block a planned railway strike.

Yet the membership of organised trade unions is in decline. The unions lost the General Strike of 1926. Since then, most governments have taken steps to weaken the effectiveness of mass action.

In this country, most citizens and workers are caught in the middle and suffer the consequences without being directly involved.

A class confrontation or co-ordinated “uprising”, along the lines hoped for by Mick Lynch, is unlikely.

Instead, continued widespread and sporadic disruption are near-certainties in the coming months. Individual disputes will eventually be settled above what employers and the government say they can afford, but below what the strikers are asking for.

UK

Man arrested over wildfire that triggered ‘major incident’ in Northern Ireland

Published

3 hours ago

April 6, 2025

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Man arrested over wildfire that triggered 'major incident' in Northern Ireland

A man has been arrested by police investigating a “significant” wildfire that triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland.

More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze which is believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.

It was extinguished at 2.53am on Sunday and the major incident status lifted, the NIFRS said.

“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” chief fire and rescue officer Aidan Jennings said.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a 25-year-old man had been arrested “on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences”.

“He remains in custody at this time as enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding the fire,” the force added.

Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.

On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.

Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”

Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.

In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.

Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.

Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.

The weather conditions triggered a “severe” wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.

UK

Man shot dead in Stanley, County Durham

Published

3 hours ago

April 6, 2025

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Police are investigating after a man was shot dead in County Durham.

Officers were called to an address in Elm Street, Stanley, at about 5.20pm on Saturday after reports of a “disturbance”, Durham Constabulary said.

A man in his 50s was found to have been shot and despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family have been told and are being supported by specially trained officers.

Specialist crime scene investigators are at the scene, and officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries.

A cordon is in place and is expected to stay there for some time.

Detective Superintendent Neil Fuller said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which a man has been shot and has sadly died.”

He added: “Residents may see an increased police presence in the area. I would like to thank them for their support while we carry out this investigation.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time.”

Durham Constabulary has urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage or CCTV to contact the force.

UK

Furious row after Labour MPs denied entry to Israel – as Lammy criticises ‘disgraceful’ Badenoch response

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3 hours ago

April 6, 2025

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Furious row after Labour MPs denied entry to Israel - as Lammy criticises 'disgraceful' Badenoch response

A furious political row has broken out after two Labour MPs were denied entry to Israel and deported after being accused of planning to “spread anti-Israel hatred”.

Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected because they were suspected of plans to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred”, according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry.

Ms Yang, who represents Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, both flew to the country from Luton on Saturday – and later said they were “astounded” by their treatment.

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The Israeli immigration ministry said the MPs were accompanied by two assistants on the trip and during questioning, they claimed they were visiting Israel “as part of an official parliamentary delegation”.

But Israeli officials said immigration officers found “no evidence to support the claim… they were travelling as part of an official delegation”. “No politicians or government officials were aware they were coming,” they added.

The Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) contradicted Israeli officials, saying the women were part of a “parliamentary delegation” on a trip organised by them and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips she was “not surprised” the MPs were detained and that “every country should be able to control its borders, and that’s what Israel is doing, as far as I understand”.

She said she was “very concerned” about the “rhetoric” on the Middle East from Labour MPs and six independents, and claimed there is “a lot of repeating of misinformation, repeating of conspiracy theories” during Prime Minister’s Questions.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticised Ms Badenoch’s comments, writing in a post on X: “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?.”

Ms Badenoch retorted, saying: “Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Sec would be able to make that distinction.”

One of Ms Badenoch’s ministers Richard Fuller appeared to contradict her, however, telling Times Radio: “Any member of Parliament who goes on an official trip should be, I would think, welcomed in any country.”

Chair of the foreign affairs select committee Emily Thornberry MP described Israel’s treatment of the two women as an “insult to our country and to Parliament”.

In a joint statement, Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed said they were “astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities”.

“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness, first-hand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,” they said.

“We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law. Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted.”

They said they had travelled to “visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank” with “UK charity partners who have over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations”.

Israel’s UK embassy said the MPs were denied entry because they had “accused Israel of false claims, were actively involved in promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers, and supported campaigns aimed at boycotting the state of Israel”.

It said the women “chose not to exercise their right under Israeli law to petition the court to reconsider the decision”.

As a result, they were “offered hotel accommodation, which they declined” and their return flight was covered by the Israeli state.

“The visit was intended to provoke anti-Israel activities at a time when Israel is at war and under attack on seven fronts. Its purpose was to harm Israel and Israeli citizens and spread falsehoods about them,” the statement added.

“The state of Israel has both the authority and the duty to prevent the entry of individuals whose presence in the country is intended to cause harm to its citizens – just as such authority exists in the United Kingdom.”

Earlier in a statement to Sky News, Mr Lammy said it was “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities”.

“I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support.

“The UK government’s focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza.”

In an interview with Sky News, Dame Emily Thornberry said her two colleagues are “highly intelligent, well informed” and “really well respected”.

“They speak on behalf of a lot of people,” said the Labour MP, warning Israel that instead of “alienating” and “humiliating” them it should “engage” with them.

She confirmed the women have landed back in the UK and that “they’ll be okay”. But she added: “I am so angry.”

Labour Friends of Israel said it was “wrong and counterproductive for Israel to refuse entry to British members of Parliament”.

“Over the years we’ve taken hundreds of MPs to Israel and Palestine; it’s vital parliamentarians are able to visit and understand the situation on the ground,” it said.