LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday he hoped to have “constructive” talks with union officials next week as thousands of workers across sectors from rail to health began negotiations. strikes to demand wage increases.
“We want to have a mature and honest conversation with all union leaders about what is responsible, what is reasonable and what is affordable for our country when it comes to wages,” Rishi Sunak told reporters during a visit to the city. a school in London.
“We believe these conversations need to happen. That’s why we invited everyone to have these discussions on Monday and I hope these discussions can be constructive,” he added.
The government has asked the unions to call off the strikes during the discussions while announcing that it is considering legislation aimed at maintaining a minimum service for essential public services, such as ambulances, during a social movement.
Late Thursday, the Unite union, one of the largest in the UK, slammed the government’s offer to bargain, calling it “game and artifice” and claimed that the planned strikes, including that of paramedics this month in Wales, would take place.
Tens of thousands of employees from several sectors have gone on strike in recent months to demand wage increases in the face of double-digit inflation across the Channel.
On Friday, around 40,000 railway workers began a new 48-hour strike, while nurses again planned to walk off on January 18 and 19.
(Report by William James, written by Sachin Ravikumar, Blandine Hénault for the French version, edited by Laetitia Volga)
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