Canceled trains and empty classrooms as UK braces for biggest strike wave in over a decade

Teachers, railway workers, civil servants and university lecturers are just some of the workers planning to strike in the UK on Wednesday as the country prepares for its biggest wave of industrial action in more than a decade.

In the country, up to half a million people are going on strike, disrupting schools and transport.

The National Education Union (NEU), which is organizing a seven-day teachers’ strike, has called for an above-inflation wage increase. Since 2010, teachers in England and Wales have seen a 23% real pay cut due to rising inflation.

NEU secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney argue that the lack of pay increases makes it difficult for schools to attract and retain staff, which “disrupts children’s education every day”.

The UK government, which has had fruitless talks with the NEU, has called the one-year 5% pay for teachers the highest “in a generation” and says it is investing €4.5 billion in education.

Some commuters plan to avoid public transportation by taking a day off or working from home due to transportation strikes.

Katie Webb, a 23-year-old who works for charity, is one of those planning to work from home on Wednesday. “I support the strikes, railway workers deserve better wages,” she said, adding that the disruption is minor compared to the stakes the workers are facing.

Inflation in the UK is at 10.5%. The cost-of-living crisis is eating away at workers’ disposable income and pushing millions of Britons into poverty.

And according to the IMF’s latest forecasts, it is expected to be the only major economy to experience a recession this year, with GDP shrinking by 0.6%.

Protesters are also demonstrating against the UK government’s controversial plans for a new law on minimum service levels during strikes.

Possibly fired due to strike

Unions have called it the “anti-strike law” because it could lead to employers firing workers for going on strike.

A senior government source said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has argued that unions must call off strikes before serious negotiations can take place.

Around 600 military personnel will be deployed to mitigate the impact of attacks on Britain’s borders, as 1,000 officers are also expected to strike in English Channel ports later this month.

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