There might be a “rolling wave” of business motion subsequent 12 months with unions coordinating strikes on the identical day, the brand new common secretary of the TUC has mentioned.
Paul Nowak has taken over the job of heading the Trades Union Congress through the largest outbreak of business unrest in a technology, with the leaders of well being, rail, civil service, instructing and postal unions more and more indignant on the lack of involvement from authorities ministers.
Mr Nowak instructed Sky News the strikes “could end tomorrow if the government was prepared for serious and sensible discussions about pay”.
He warned of additional disruption if ministers do not come to the desk, saying unions have a “responsibility” to assist hanging employees, “and that means in some circumstances coordinated industrial action”.
“Our unions will be continuing to talk in the new year about how we best support and coordinate unions taking that strike action,” he mentioned.
“In some cases, that might mean unions taking strike action on the same day and in other cases it will be a rolling wave of industrial action.”
The interview got here as railway cleaners and highway site visitors officers grew to become the newest sectors to hitch strike motion sweeping the nation.
Nurses, ambulance employees and different NHS employees have already been joined by rail, bus and postal employees in happening strike in December in a row over pay and situations.
Teachers, civil servants, National Highways staff, airport baggage handlers and homeless charity staff have additionally walked off the job, whereas Border Force employees primarily based at a variety of airports are persevering with with strike motion till New Year’s Eve.
On Thursday, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace insisted there was “no magic wand” to supply the cash for above-inflation pay awards unions are demanding, as he rejected Mr Nowak’s name for ministers to get around the negotiating desk.
The authorities has accepted suggestions from pay assessment our bodies to provide many hanging employees below-inflation pay rises, and Mr Wallace mentioned he was not ready to disregard these.
“We’re not going back to the 1970s where the trade union barons thought that they ran the government,” he mentioned.
“They used to meet in Downing Street and tell the Labour government of the day what they’re going to do. We’re not going to go back to that. We’re not going to be held to ransom.
“The commerce unions can negotiate, they’ll negotiate with their employers and try to come to a decision. That’s a very powerful factor. There’s no magic wand right here to give you cash that the nation would not have.”
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Earlier, Mr Nowak said the disputes will only end if there is a way forward on pay “and that is solely going to occur if the federal government sits down and negotiates”.
He said there is “completely no proof” that public sector pay “is driving inflation on this nation” and the government should be more concerned “about what’s taking place to earnings”.
“So earnings up 31% final 12 months alone, dividends handed out to shareholders are rising 3 times sooner than wages, a bumper 12 months for bonuses within the City of London and a authorities that determined to elevate the cap on bankers’ bonuses. They had very clear political decisions. They’re decisions that do not work for working folks.”
To mark his appointment, the TUC published new analysis it said showed that workers are enduring the longest real wage squeeze in modern history.
Its study suggested that workers have lost £20,000, on average, in real wages since 2008 as a result of pay not keeping up with inflation, and by 2025 the loss will total £24,000.
Nurses have misplaced £42,000 in actual earnings since 2008, midwives £56,000 and paramedics £56,000, with employees dealing with one other 12 months of “pay misery”, mentioned the TUC.
Government ‘sabotaging’ negotiations
Mr Nowak mentioned hanging employees have been “left with no choice” after greater than a decade of pay cuts, and accused ministers of “sabotaging efforts to reach settlements”.
He pointed to the rail dispute, saying situations had been thrown in “at the last minute” which “scuppered” a deal that was in attain.
Mr Nowak succeeds Frances O’Grady as common secretary and has mentioned that his precedence can be to construct a “bigger, stronger and more diverse” commerce union motion.
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Earlier he issued a problem to authorities and employers to “work with unions to end Britain’s living standards nightmare”.
“UK workers are on course for two decades of lost pay. This is the longest squeeze on earnings in modern history.
“We cannot go on like this. We cannot be a rustic the place nurses are having to make use of meals banks, whereas City bankers get limitless bonuses.”
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In an interview with the i newspaper, he mentioned unions may boycott subsequent 12 months’s negotiations with pay assessment our bodies.
Pay assessment our bodies are made up of specialists of their subject with out political affiliations who take proof from a variety of sources, together with commerce unions and employees.
However, the our bodies are appointed by ministers and there are issues over their credibility.
It comes a day after Mark Serwotka, common secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union which represents Border Force employees, instructed Sky News strike motion is prone to change into “co-ordinated and synchronised”.
Earlier at the moment Matt Wrack, the overall secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), instructed Sky News synchronised strikes is one thing he would assist.
“If people are facing a common attack which is on their living standards, why would they not work together to try and force that attack back?” he mentioned.
The FBU has balloted members over strike motion with the results of the vote anticipated on the finish of January.
The union says the best-paid fireplace chiefs earn greater than six occasions an everyday firefighter’s wage
More strike dates introduced
Meanwhile, cleaners on the Dockland Light Railway (DLR) will strike on 30 and 31 December over pay, rosters and dealing situations. They are campaigning for a wage of £15 an hour, sick pay, respectable holidays and pensions.
Road site visitors officers and management room employees can even launch a two-day strike on Friday.
Source: information.sky.com”