Walking Out

Listen to Today's Edition:

More than half a million British workers went on strike across the country Wednesday over pay disputes and working conditions, the biggest walkout in the United Kingdom in more than a decade, CNBC reported.

The strikes included hundreds of thousands of teachers, along with civil servants, university workers and train drivers that led to the closure of tens of thousands of schools and disrupted transportation and other public services.

It’s the latest labor action since summer in spite of the UK having the toughest striking rules in Europe, the Washington Post noted.

Demands varied by union but included inflation-beating pay rises to make up for prior real-term pay decreases, pension reform, and a promise to forego layoffs in the future. In the case of teachers in England, the National Education Union said educators have seen their wages decline in real terms by 23 percent since 2010.

In the public sector, the average salary excluding bonuses increased by 2.7 percent between August and October, despite inflation exceeding 10 percent. According to national statistics, the private sector saw a 6.9 percent pay boost.

The demonstrations also targeted a bill voted on by the lower house of Parliament this week that attempted to impose minimum service levels on some sectors during strikes, with certain workers facing dismissal if they refuse to work when necessary.

Observers said the strike will take a toll on already slowing economic growth: The International Monetary Fund predicted that the UK is likely to be the only major economy to fall into recession this year, even though it recorded one of the strongest growth rates among advanced economies in 2022, CNN added.

Meanwhile, a report released by Bloomberg this week said that Brexit is costing the UK economy over $120 billion dollars a year.