How will the government respond?

Until now, the British government had taken a firm stance, rejecting demands for higher wages and turning to the army to make up for the strikers’ absence.

On Thursday, 5 January, the UK government announced it would “rapidly” introduce legislation to set service minimums in sectors such as healthcare, firefighters, ambulance personnel and rail workers.

Sunak called for the “right of workers to continue with their lives” without having to suffer the “important disruption” caused by the months-long multiple strikes.

“That is why we are introducing new laws, in line with countries like France, Italy, Spain, to ensure that we have minimum security in critical areas such as fire services, ambulance services, even in the event of a strike. they know that their health is protected,” he said.

The government accuses unemployed health workers of endangering patients.

“It wasn’t a union that failed to meet minimum service standards: it was the government’s NHS disaster management that brought it to breaking point,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said in a statement.

The Secretary of Health, Steve Barclay, found Monday’s mobilization “deeply disappointing” and confirmed the measures being promoted to ensure patient safety, in a statement issued late on Sunday.

“Not a single proposal in the last five weeks,” Secretary General Graham replied.

Union organizations have asked the conservative British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, to take over the reins of negotiations, given Barclay’s ministers do not have the “authority” to reach a deal.

Although Health chiefs spoke of “constructive discussions” with unions, they warned they would maintain the strike until executives heard their proposals.

With information from Reuters and AFP