A new wave of strikes began on Wednesday in the United Kingdom, as teachers, train drivers, and civil servants joined the biggest day of strike action in the UK since 2011 after ministers continued to resist unions' demands to boost public sector pay.
The Financial Times said that about 150,000 teachers are expected to walk out across England and Wales, in addition to 70,000 university lecturers. Commuters will also be stranded, with 12,500 train drivers shutting some lines entirely and leaving just a third of services running across the network.
Additionally, 100,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents civil servants, will also strike. Their walkout will affect Whitehall departments, regulators and other agencies, museums, and job centres as well as border posts, where military personnel have been drafted in to check passports.
The Trades Union Congress, the voice of the UK's organised labour movement, called the day of coordinated action in protest at new legislation that will in the future allow ministers to mandate a minimum service be maintained during strikes in key sectors, including transport, health and education.
The Trades Union Congress general secretary Paul Nowak said "our message to ministers is this: stop attacking the right to strike and start negotiating with unions in good faith on public sector pay."
Despite numerous strikes, there is no sign of any move from ministers to resolve the deadlock on pay with unions, which are preparing to increase industrial action unless wages are improved.
