Half a million workers in the United Kingdom, including teachers, university staff, train and bus drivers, join the biggest strike in a decade on Wednesday to demand better wages.
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Although the country has experienced several days of strikes in recent months, today is the most important by the number of employees who support it and the variety of sectors that support it.
The United Kingdom lives this Wednesday its biggest day of strike in eleven years with strikes in many sectorsunited by the demand for better wages against inflation of 10.5%.
Some 20,000 schools in England and Wales will be affected by the first of seven days of strikes called for February and March by primary and secondary teachers, thus adding to the protests that began months ago in many other sectors.
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His stoppage coincides with one of the multiples approved by the drivers of a dozen railway companies and with the staff of 150 universities.
Also with the action of some 100,000 officials from ministries, ports, airports and even driving license examination centers.
Total, up to 500,000 people are expected to go on strike in the day of this Wednesday.
Popular support for the protests
Despite the chaos due to the incessant strikes, 59% of Britons support the nurses’ strike and 43% back teachers, according to a Public First poll published by Politico.
Several student parent organizations said in a statement on Wednesday that they “support” the movement, pointing to “the consequences of years of underfunding” in schools.
The government’s position is untenable. Cannot ignore unprecedented strike moves
For its part, the executive defends the need to impose minimum services in key sectors and to do so, he presented a bill whose approval is advancing smoothly in Parliament.
“The government’s position is untenable. It cannot ignore an unprecedented strike movement that continues to grow,” the general secretary of the PCS civil servants union, Mark Serwotka, told Sky News, calling for “a more realistic attitude.”
Wednesday’s protest comes at a bad time for Sunak, on the eve of his 100 days in power marked by the crisis and coinciding with the third anniversary of a Brexit that only 20% of Britons consider to be on the right track, against which a 56% (up from 48% in the 2016 referendum), according to a December YouGov poll.
As icing on the cake, a report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted on Tuesday that the The UK will be the only G7 country whose economy contracts in 2023.
The ‘most’ schools will be open during the day of protests
Gillian Keegan, education secretary, said “most” schools in England and Wales will remain open today, despite the strike.
Rishi Sunak to face questions from Congress as strikes take place
The Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, Rushi Sunak, will have to meet with the members of Congress at the meeting called every Wednesday so that the deputies can ask him questions.
The central topic of discussion will be the workers’ protests.
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