High prices and record inflation .. Britain faces the largest wave of strikes and protests in its history

LONDON

- Britain has been living through an unprecedented inflation crisis in the country's history for more than half a century, which prompted a number of employees of sensitive sectors in the country to engage in a series of strikes or threaten strikes in the coming weeks, paralyzing a number of vital facilities in the country.

Britain is on the cusp of the longest and largest series of strikes to protest low wages compared to skyrocketing prices, a huge increase in the electricity bill, and alarming figures about the number of Britons at risk of falling below the poverty line.

The first to inaugurate the strikes campaign were the train workers who fought the longest and largest strike in the history of the United Kingdom, to demand higher wages and better working conditions, with a large number of government sector employees joining them.

wholesale strikes

It is expected that the train movement in the United Kingdom will witness a state of paralysis, due to a new strike by train workers, after the last, which was the largest in the country's history and in which all companies operating in the rail transport sector were involved.

At the end of this month, about 5,500 train drivers in various British cities will be on strike for 3 separate days.

As for the reasons for the strike, the railway workers’ unions are calling for a salary increase of more than 5%, and a reversal of the railway companies’ decisions to lay off 2,500 workers during the past months.

The strikes spread to workers in the postal sector, which is one of the most important sectors in Britain, and the Royal Mail Corporation is one of the most employing institutions in the country, with more than 160,000 workers.

Trade unions say the company has made close to $1 billion in profits, and for years have rejected any pay rise.

On the other hand, the company says that it offered a salary increase of about 5.5%, but the unions reject this offer and demand more.

The largest union of nurses working in the British Health Authority (NHS) is expected to vote on a decision to go on strike, rejecting a government proposal to increase salaries by about 4.4%, and it is expected that about 500,000 nurses will participate in this strike, which will lead to almost complete paralysis. in hospitals.

Teachers' unions threatened the biggest strike the country has known in more than a generation, in response to the union's refusal to offer a government increase of 3% for teachers working in the education sector for 5 years or more.

The education unions are mobilizing in general for the participation of all unions in voting to go on strike next November, that is, at the height of the school season, to have a greater impact.

Until now, it is not known how the government will deal with these strikes, which include the most important sectors such as transportation, health and education, pending the selection of a new government next September.

historical inflation

Britain recently witnessed a record rise in prices, as the inflation rate reached 9.4%, the highest in 40 years.

According to the data of the National Statistics Agency (ONS), wages rose in May by 4.3%, but when calculating the inflation rate, it appears that the level of wages in the country decreased by 2.8% compared to the previous year.

Estimates of the continued rise in the inflation rate differ, between estimates from experts and private financial institutions who expect that it will continue to rise until next autumn, while the expectations of the British Central Bank indicate a decrease in the inflation rate during the coming months, and the Central Bank expected that inflation will decrease by about 2%, after the increases. Recurring in the interest rate trying to control depreciation and borrowing.

Historically, when the inflation rate exceeds 9% in Britain, it takes years, not months, until it returns to its normal level, which is about 2-3% as a maximum estimate, and this is what happened in the seventies when the inflation rate rose above 20%, as it took about 10 years to return Inflation back to normal.

National Energy Action has forecast that more than 8.2 million British households will approach the poverty line, with the annual energy bill expected to reach more than $3,500 by October.

According to the same institution, a third of British households may find themselves at risk of poverty by next autumn, due to their inability to pay the energy bill.

The number of families at risk of poverty increased from 4.5 million families in October of last year to 8.2 million families.