Strikes in Britain are increasing daily, NHS strikes, railroad employees and many people from different walks of life are joining strikes in Britain.
On 7 December, a brewery, a pickle factory and a non-profit housing organization stroke.
There is indeed nothing in common between these three places. Still, they all agree on one thing: they all are facing a livelihood crisis, and their wages are not enough to support their lives, and they have been gripped by the country for months because of the deepening cost of living situation.
United warned there could be shortages over the holidays
Under 200 employees at Greene King (brewing company), 600 workers at non-profit housing and homeless charity Shelter, and about 50 workers in Mizkan Euro factory are walking out and on strikes in Britain.
Unite, the union representing workers of pickle factory and brewing company, and workers at the housing charity warned there could be shortages in pickles and vinegar over the Christmas holidays.
Strikes in Britain; strike of health care workers and railroad employees
Strikes in Britain are increasing daily, and every day, many workers, health care workers, railroad employees, and many people from different walks of life are joining strikes in Britain.
Also, healthcare workers and railroad workers joined strikes in Britain; and Britain is bracing for much worse.
Healthcare workers such as nurses, ambulance staff, and railroad employees are set to go on strikes, and expect other industries across the UK to be annexed to strikes in Britain. They continue their strikes every day until Christmas.
NHS warning of labour shortages and cold winter ahead
Following protests and strikes by various public sectors, including Health care workers, the NHS warned that the organization would face severe staff shortages and a harsh winter ahead.
Health chiefs warn millions of patients will suffer worsening quality of health care due to strikes in Britain and labour shortages, and ministers must take instant action to alleviate the staffing crisis engulfing the NHS.
The NHS, which represents the whole health care system, is calling for taking immediate measures about the demands of the employees of this department to the livelihood crisis and the lack of income.
Otherwise, if not paying attention to the demands of the employees of this department, the NHS system will seriously harm the patients following strikes in Britain.
Challenge for Rishi Sunak’s government
Strikes in Britain are increasing daily, and every day a lot of workers, health care workers, railroad employees and many people from different walks of life are joining strikes in Britain.
It has been nearly ten years since the protests and strikes in Britain peaked, and these protests will continue and become more expansive, and the situation will worsen.
This could be a challenge for Rishi Sunak’s government. The UK economy is already in recession and is not expected to emerge until the end of 2024.
Brexit and its role in strikes in Britain
We cannot ignore the role of some political decisions in the occurrence of strikes in Britain.
One of the political decisions was the implementation of the Brexit plan; with the performance of Brexit in Britain, the UK separated from the EU.
The Brexit plan is one of the influential factors in the occurrence of livelihood crises, unemployment, economic recession and previous and current strikes in Britain as a result of the performance of the plan.
As long as Britain was in the EU, the country enjoyed many economic and commercial interests, and European countries invested efficiently in England.
British aid to Ukraine
Strikes in Britain are increasing daily, and every day a lot of workers, health care workers, railroad employees and many people from different walks of life are joining strikes in Britain.
Rishi Sunak pledges Ukraine 50 million military aid as he met Volodymyr Zelensky in November.
The Prime minister promised to continue its monetary support from Ukraine against Russia and said, “while Ukraine has armed forces succeed in punishing back Russian forces on the ground”.
But at the same time, different strata of Britain have gone on strike due to the livelihood crisis caused by the economic recession in the country and want to increase their minimum wages.
What do the statistics say about the amount of British aid to Ukraine?
According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Wealth Index 2022, around 14.5 million people in the UK live in poverty.
This figure is one out of every five people. Of these, 8.1 million adults are of working age, 4.3 million are children, and 2.1 million are pensioners.
According to data, child poverty continues to rise. The latest data in the country says that one in three children in the UK is living in poverty ( 31%), and Nearly half of children in lone-parent families are in poverty, compared with one in four of those in couple families.
Regarding working-age adults, by the data, lone parents are most likely of any family type to be struggling with poverty.
Single pensioners, the poverty rate between these families is double that of couple pensioners, and by and large, almost one in five pensioners are struggling with a livelihood crisis.
Rishi Sunak has given the police full Authority to suppress protests
Strikes in Britain are increasing daily, and every day a lot of workers, health care workers, railroad employees and many people from different walks of life are joining strikes in Britain.
While a plethora sections of people, from labours to health care employees and railway workers, are protesting against the poor living conditions and low minimum ages, Rishi Sunak has given the polices full Authority to suppress any kind of protest.
Rishi Sunak pledged that the police would have unlimited power to crack down on disruptive protests when they met police chiefs on 2 December.
Prime minister also, in his meeting with police chiefs, announced his support to clamp down on illegal protests and gave them the Authority to crack down on demonstrations.
M.R Harrington, the head of Essex Police, told the prime minister and committed his forces are entirely prepared to deal with further disruption planned ahead of Christmas.
Conclusion
Political issues and decisions such as Brexit, Britain’s aid to Ukraine during the Ukraine- Russia war, while more than half of British people are below the poverty line, etc., have led to an escalation of strikes in Britain and widespread protests.
The only solution to solve the economic stagnation and livelihood problems of the people is to give priority to the needs and wishes of the people instead of giving millions of pounds to Ukraine.
