Britain will suffer strike chaos every day until Christmas

Andrea Leadsom, Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire and former business secretary, called on ministers and union leaders to come to the negotiating table and prevent strikes before they cause chaos for millions of households.

She said: “The burden on employees from the rising cost of living is incredibly difficult, but a strike that will cause misery for millions and put even more pressure on services is no way out.

“Government and unions need to work together to find a compromise that will keep services running.”

Bus workers will walk out in London on Thursday. It is also the second day of a 48-hour strike by 115,000 Royal Mail employees.

Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communications Workers Union (CWU), which is responsible for 115,000 postal workers, said on the picket line that the strikes would continue until Christmas 2023 unless the board of directors of the privatized company withdraws.

The CWU is planning more industrial action for December 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24, prompting Royal Mail bosses to warn that gifts may not be delivered in time for Christmas and to urge customers to get them early submitted by mail.

Among other strikes for the rest of the month, G4S cash workers will walk out, raising the prospect of cash shortages at banks and supermarkets, Scottish teachers will take industrial action and further bus strikes will take place in London.

On the railways, 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) will go on strike. resulting in national shutdowns on December 13, 14, 16 and 17 and January 3, 4, 6 and 7.

In addition, RMT Eurostar will be out of action for a four-day strike that will interrupt the Christmas holidays. Nurses will strike on December 15 and 20.

On Wednesday, Mr Sunak said demands for a 19 per cent pay rise were “simply unreasonable and unattainable”. The NHS providers warned that trusts were “rightly concerned about the prospect of concerted and sustained industrial action in the coming months”.

Government sources insisted officials were working with public sector union leaders to avoid planned strikes.

Meanwhile, the mandarins are “closely monitoring” private sector disputes such as that at Royal Mail.

Small businesses, which Mr Sunak described as the “backbone of our economy” when he was chancellor, are likely to most affected by strikes.

Tina McKenzie, chair of policy and advocacy at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: “Small businesses are already in the midst of a cost of doing business crisis, facing rising energy costs, rampant inflation, high taxes and consumers. cutting back.

“Disruptions to transport networks and delivery and retail services increase the burden on small businesses.

“These strikes, now impacting the festive season, are undermining the recovery of our tourism and hospitality sectors, which are dominated by small businesses and have been hardest hit by Covid.

A government spokesman said: “[We] have repeatedly called on unions and employers to continue to talk and reach an agreement instead of taking preventive industrial action.

“We recognize that these are economically challenging times, but wage settlements must be affordable and fair for both workers and taxpayers.”