A new one-day strike for wage hike began this Thursday UKThousands of medical professionals went on strike for the first time in decades and train drivers were suspended, disrupting train services.
The country, hit by a severe cost-of-living crisis, has been hit by months of strikes in the health, transport, education and postal sectors. While inflation has slowed, it is the highest among G7 countries (7.9% in June).
After nurses, paramedics and residents, more experienced doctors joined the movement and began a 48-hour strike this Thursday at 07:00 local time (03:00 GMT). Dentists working in hospitals were also suspended.
After years of austerity and COVID-19, access to the National Health Service (NHS) is increasingly complex. The government has proposed a 6% hike for medical professionals this year. But according to the BMA trade union (British Medical Association), the scheme amounts to a pay cut in real terms.
Train conductors from the RMT union have stepped up strikes for a year, making travel difficult during the school holidays. Rail services have warned that there will be “little or no service across much of the network” on Thursday, July 22 and 29. The Aslef union began the strike on July 17, which ends Saturday.
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Jane Austen is a writer and contributor covering culture, literature, lifestyle, and society. Her work focuses on thoughtful storytelling, social trends, and the issues shaping everyday life, delivering engaging and accessible content for readers across the United Kingdom.
