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The Biden administration is breathing a sigh of relief after managing to avoid a rail strike last week, but on a parallel track, the UK is on a runaway strike train.
The UK’s largest rail union, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT for short) has announced strike action from Christmas Eve until December 27, continuing a long-running battle between the union and the rail companies’ alliance. and the UK Government. With healthcare and postal workers also planning strikes this Yuletide, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may fear a visit from a trio of festive ghosts.
Do they know it’s Christmas?
For weary UK commuters, a rail strike is not a Christmas event. RMT members first walked out in June this year (two full prime ministers ago) and have been ripe for a period of time as workers demand better pay to keep pace with inflation as well as job security. The RMT already had two 48-hour strikes scheduled for December, and added action on Christmas Eve after rejecting Sunday’s offer of an 8% pay rise over two years.
Both sides have blamed each other for stalling talks (Quale surprise) but the UK government is stepping up public pressure to resolve the dispute as RMT members are not the only workers to strike this Christmas:
- Nurses’ unions are due to go on strike this month for the first time in their 106-year history, and ambulance workers are also set to walk off the wheel across England and Wales on December 21st and 28th. Conservative Party chairman Nadeem Zahavi told Sky News on Sunday that workers should call off the strike to “send a very clear message to Putin” – guess how well that went.
- Royal Mail, which was privatized in 2013, has also seen strike disruption and six more planned for December, meaning Brits will be better off relying on Santa Claus (or possibly Santa Bezos) for current deliveries this year.
Humbug: While rail workers, nurses and postal workers are tired, British families will be a little less full on Christmas Day. Data released last week by market research group Kantar showed that the average Christmas dinner will cost 10% more than last year. With bird flu also affecting 50% of the UK’s free-range turkeys and geese, the country will really need some minor Tim-level optimism.
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