UK to face more strikes after talks between unions and ministers fail

Strikes are set to continue in the United Kingdom by workers and nurses demanding higher wage after meeting between trade unions and ministers failed on Monday which were aimed at ending stoppages across sectors from transport to healthcare.

On Wednesday, as planned around 10,000 ambulance workers will walk out, said the GMB union in a statement after meeting with Health Minister Steve Barclay did not result in a breakthrough.

"There was some engagement on pay - but not a concrete offer that could help resolve this dispute and make significant progress," said GMB national secretary Rachel Harrison.

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In the view of pay increase failing to match with double-digit inflation, ambulance staff, rail workers and nurses have staged walkouts, and teachers are voting over the action.

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Teaching unions, which will be announcing the strike ballots' result later this week, met with the education minister, while the unions representing nurses and ambulance workers held talks with the health minister. Meanwhile, the rail unions will hold talks with the transport minister.

The RCN, which represents the nurses, termed the talks with Barclay "bitterly disappointing". It added that there was a long way to go if ministers wished to stop strikes of nurses scheduled on January 18 and 19.

Unions Unite and Unison, which represent the health workers, slammed the approach of the government. Unite trade union national lead officer Onay Kasab, after holding a meeting with health minister Steve Barclay, said that the government clearly expressed its wish to discuss productivity savings in exchange for further pay awards.

"We're talking about people who are working well beyond their contracted hours anyway, just to get the job done. Today is an insult to our members,” he said.

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The unions have announced that the strikes will be called off only if offers are made to resolve pay disputes of this year, as the government plans to focus on the increase in wages in the next financial year.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday said the talks being held between trade unions and ministers were a "positive development".

''I'm really pleased that union leaders accepted ministers' invitations to come in today to have discussions across the board, and that's a really positive development. And on pay, we've always said that the government is happy to talk about pay demands and pay issues that are anchored in what's reasonable, what's responsible, what's affordable for the country. But the most important thing is those talks are happening and let's try and sit down and find a way through,” said Sunak.

(With inputs from agencies)