Rishi Sunak has been slammed for failing to resolve public sector strikes one year after workers voted to begin industrial action.
Trade union leaders demanded the PM stop “messing around” and end the disruption by giving staff the pay and conditions they deserve.
This week marks one year since railway workers in the RMT voted to begin their biggest walkouts in almost 30 years.
Since then nurses, junior doctors, paramedics, teachers and civil servants have all joined the strikes.
Official figures show that in the 12 months to March this year 3.6million working days were lost to industrial action with 1.5million people taking part in the strikes.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak told the Mirror: “It’s time for Rishi Sunak to do the right thing and give our public servants the fair pay and conditions they deserve.
“Taking strike action is not something teachers, civil servants or railway workers do lightly. But they have been left with no choice.
“Year after year of real-terms pay cuts have pushed workers to breaking point and created a huge staffing crisis across our public services.”
Mr Nowak added: “These disputes could have been resolved months ago. Ministers need to stop messing around and agree a deal with all their workforce. Fair settlements can be reached.
“The ball is in the government’s court.”
TUC analysis shows that UK workers are living through the longest pay squeeze in more than 200 years.
Real wages - pay adjusted for inflation - are still worth less than they were in 2008.
Over the last year alone real wages have slumped by more than £1,000 on average.
Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said: "The brutal cost of living crisis means millions - NHS workers, carers, retail staff and so many more – are struggling like never before.
“Strikes are happening because working people have had enough of this relentless attack on their living standards.
“Employers everywhere must realise that unless they start talking with workers and delivering decent pay rises, it’s only going to get worse."
Mr Sunak was grilled about how the ongoing teachers’ strikes are having an impact on children’s education as he appeared on ITV’s This Morning yesterday.
He said: “I want people to know we are working really hard to resolve these things. I think people will have seen we are finding ways to do it with the NHS for example.
“Over a million NHS workers found an agreement with the government so that’s great news.
“With teachers we tried to do the same thing, I’m sad that it has not been possible yet and they rejected the offer.
“I think teachers do an amazing job, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the education I received. I am really passionate about it.
“But I’ve got to make some difficult choices and figure out what is fair when it comes to taxes, what is the responsible thing to do when inflation is high, and I’ve got to figure out what is a fair pay deal.”
Which strikes are resolved and which are ongoing?
NURSES - UNRESOLVED
The Royal College of Nursing is balloting its more than 300,000 members on the possibility of six months of further strike action in England - which could go on until Christmas. The union started its first nationwide walkouts in its 106-year history last December and has held seven days of strike action so far. It has rejected the government’s pay deal that will see NHS staff get a 5% pay rise plus a one-off sum of at least £1,655. The RCN ballot closes on June 23 with the result expected the following week.
JUNIOR DOCTORS - UNRESOLVED
Junior doctors will strike for at least three days every month over the summer after pay talks with ministers broke down. The British Medical Association said the government's offer of 5 per cent was not 'credible'. The junior doctors will now walkout for 72 hours from 7am on June 14. Junior doctors held a four-day strike in April and a three-day strike in March, which caused the cancellation of 370,000 appointments and operations.
PARAMEDICS AND HOSPITAL STAFF - PARTIALLY RESOLVED
Health workers in Unison, GMB and Unite have all held walkouts over pay, which have thousands of paramedics, midwives, porters and cleaning staff go on picket lines. While members of GMB and Unison voted to accept the NHS pay offer, those in Unite rejected it and are planning fresh strikes. Walkouts next month will see frontline NHS staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London take industrial action, as well as ambulance workers in Yorkshire.
RAILWAY WORKERS - PARTIALLY RESOLVED
Railway workers in the RMT voted in favour of strike action across Network Rail and train operating companies on May 24 last year. Those employed by Network Rail accepted a revised pay offer in March, but the other part of the dispute is still ongoing with members voting a few weeks ago to extend the strike mandate for another six months. The next walkout is planned for June 2. Aslef, the train drivers’ union, also has been holding industrial action. It will have strikes on May 31 and June 3.
TEACHERS - NOT RESOLVED
All state schools in England could be closed by unprecedented coordinated strikes involving all four teaching unions. The National Education Union, NASUWT, ASCL and NAHT - which represent both teachers and heads - have vowed to increase pressure on the government to improve its pay offer. The NEU has already held four days of national strikes in England this year and three days of regional action. In March, ministers offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment alongside an average 4.5% pay rise next year after talks. But members of the four unions rejected the pay offer by substantial margins. The School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) has reportedly recommended to ministers that a pay rise of 6.5% should be awarded.
CIVIL SERVANTS - NOT RESOLVED
Civil and public servants working in 106 government departments voted to renew their strike ballot for another six months earlier this month. The members of the Public and Commercial Services union include officials in the Home Office, Passport Office and DVLA, as well as driving examiners. The FDA, which represents senior civil servants was due to begin its first national pay strike ballot in 40 years next week, while the Prospect union was due to down tools on June 7. However today both unions said they had agreed to pause their action as ministers had formally invited them to “meaningful” pay talks.
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