Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance workers have staged the biggest strike in the history of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). The industrial action—the first time ambulance workers and nurses have walked out on the same day—has been organised by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) along with the GMB and Unite unions. The…

The UK saw the biggest single day of strikes in a decade on Wednesday, with up to half a million workers, including tens of thousands of teachers, joining the nationwide industrial action. The mass walkout involved members of seven trade unions, including civil servants, train and bus drivers, and university staff. Picket lines were mounted…

The UK government’s anti-strike legislation has cleared its first hurdle in Parliament, as the country suffers from continuing disruptions amid a wave of industrial action in the public sector. On Monday evening, MPs voted 309 to 249 to give the bill a second reading. It came just hours after the National Education Union (NEU) announced…

The UK government’s planned legislation to ensure “minimum safety levels” during strikes may be challenged under European human rights law and international labour conventions, employment lawyers have said. The government said on Thursday that it will introduce a bill in Parliament in the coming weeks to ensure that vital public services will have to maintain…

The UK government has announced new legislation to ensure “minimum safety levels” in the most crucial sectors when industrial action takes place. In a statement released on Thursday, the government said it will “always protect the ability to strike,” but it must be “balanced with the public’s right to life and livelihoods.” The government has…

British rail passengers have been warned to prepare for “significantly disrupted” travel into the New Year amid a wave of industrial unrest sweeping across the country. The Network Rail, which owns and maintains the railway infrastructure in England, Scotland, and Wales, has urged people to plan ahead and check before they depart as “industrial action…

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made surprise phone calls to public servants thanking them for their “selflessness,” as the public sector continues to suffer disruptions amid a wave of industrial actions. In footage published on Dec. 23, Sunak phoned the crew of the naval ship HMS Protector, British diplomats in Pakistan, Somalia, and Ukraine,…

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is “sad” and “disappointed” about widespread disruptions caused by strikes, but has insisted that refusing to negotiate on public sector pay is the “right thing” to do. Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a homeless shelter in London, Sunak said: “I am really sad and I…

The UK government and health unions have been locked in a bitter war of words as paramedics and ambulance staff in England and Wales walked out on Wednesday over a pay dispute. Eight ambulance trusts have been put on their highest level of alert. They have declared critical incidents, which means they cannot provide normal…

Talks between the UK government and health unions have failed to break the deadlock ahead of a planned strike by paramedics and ambulance workers in England and Wales. Health Secretary Steve Barclay met union representatives on Tuesday afternoon but their attempt to avert the strike planned for Wednesday appears to have ended in failure. The…