LONDON (Reuters) Jan,15– A strike that will disrupt parts of Britain’s economy is likely to intensify this week, according to the Sunday Times newspaper. Teachers are ready to announce industrial action and nurses warn that strikes could double over the next month.
The government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which sets wage levels for publicly funded health and education services, has already gone on strike in railways and other industries as rising prices have slowed wage increases.
The results of the vote for teachers belonging to the National Education Union are due at 17:00 GMT on Monday, but the Sunday Times, citing union officials, said members in England and Wales have been on strike since his February strike.
The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.A strike vote by another teachers’ union last week failed to achieve the required turnout.
If teacher strikes are confirmed on Monday it would add to the disruption experienced by millions of people in Britain over the last six months, during which train strikes have crippled transport networks and ambulances workers have on two dates so far refused to respond to all but the most serious calls.
Transport minister Mark Harper told Sky News on Sunday that any decision to strike by teachers would be regrettable.
With inflation running at more than 10%, driven in part by sharp increases in energy costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government has said it cannot afford big wage increases and did not want to embed higher inflation in the economy through pay rises.
Nevertheless, Harper said he had given permission for rail companies to make a new offer to unions, offering tentative signs that a deal could be in the offing although he refused to set any timetable.
The Royal College of Nursing, some of whose members walked out last month and will do so again on Wednesday and Thursday, warned that their next round of strikes could be more severe, with double the number of nurses in England to walk out in February unless a resolution is found.
