Britain has been witnessing growing struggles of workers in several key industries and services, including the state-run National Health Service.
Teachers across Scotland carried out a strike action in early December 2022, for the first time in almost 40 years. Hundreds of thousands of teachers and education staff in England and Wales are planning strike actions for better wages and more government funding for public education.
Health workers in Britain have been carrying on a series of protest actions throughout December 2022. They declared in the last week of December 2022, that they will intensify their struggle for higher wages and better working conditions, throughout 2023.
Thousands of nurses and ambulance workers in England and Wales have been going on strike in December 2022 and are planning more protests and strikes in January 2023, demanding better wages and working conditions.
Nurses of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are expected to strike work on January 18-19, 2023. They have already organised strikes and protest actions in December 2022, in support of their demands for a wage raise, in order to meet the soaring costs of living.
According to the RCN General Secretary, the government remains adamant in its decision to not raise the nurses’ wages, despite several rounds of talks. The nurses are determined to intensify their struggle.
Nurses unions in Scotland voted to reject the latest wage offer of the Scottish government and announced their decision to go on strike on December 15 and 20.
Ambulance workers in Britain announced a strike action on January 11, demanding better wages and working conditions.
The British government has refused to concede the workers’ demands. Instead, the British PM and other leading members of the British government have threatened to bring in the army, to break the strike and run the hospital and ambulance services. The health workers are apprehensive that the army personnel may not be able to provide all the services that would have been provided by the striking nurses and ambulance workers.
Clearly, the British ruling class is neither concerned about the conditions of the workers, nor about the health and safety of the people.