The possibility of a general strike, the first in almost a hundred years, is being discussed in the United Kingdom. The unions are not identifying the actual causes of the hyperinflationary binge, but are simply demanding increased wages to counter it, ignoring that the inflation is expanding and would soon wipe out any small gains they achieve today.
This week the railway unions, including the London Underground, will go on three days of strikes, which will cut service by 80%. That is intersecting demands by other large unions for wage increases, and comes at a time when inflation is at 7%, a 40-year high according the British statistical authority, and the cost of living increased by more than 10% between April 2021 and April 2022.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) will strike on June 21, 23 and 25 across Network Rail and 13 train operating companies. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said that “members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies.” On June 21, strikes are also set to affect the London Underground. The government is provoking a strike; so far, they have offered RMT a 2% pay raise, with an extra 1% if they accept job cuts, and the teachers have been offered 3%.
The real possibility of a general strike, which would be the first since 1926, now overshadows Britain. RMT’s Lynch has called for other unions to take up the cause of the working people. And for the first time, the prospect of a general strike was put on the table. Commenting on the failure of talks between the government and the RMT on June 19, he warned that it will take a miracle to prevent an “Armageddon.”
At the same time, two of the largest trade unions, the National Education Union (NEU) representing teachers and National Health Service workers, warned that unless they receive assurances of pay increases closer to inflation by June 22, it plans to ballot its 450,000 members for strike action. The postal delivery union is voting now on a strike mandate.
On June 18, thousands marched through central London in a protest against the high cost of living, organized by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). According to Sputnik, the TUC said that every worker has almost £20,000 since 2008 because pay has not kept pace with inflation.
