New TUC general secretary Paul Nowak has warned that workers are “ready” to strike until the summer following disputes over pay.
Mr Nowak has accused the Government of “sabotaging” efforts to resolve the wave of strikes continuing to sweep across the country.
Strikes in 2023 could be worse than 2022 according to Mr Nowak who says they will fight two years’ worth of pay disputes at the same time if previous offers from 2022 are not settled.
More strikes will be carried out in 2023 as union bosses warn they could be worse than 2022
Nick Warren
TUC – which represents 5.5 million members across 48 unions – demands a “proper review” ahead of 2023 pay talks this Spring.
Mr Nowak told The Mirror: “When you've got over a quarter of hospital with food banks for their own staff, that's got to say something's broken.
“When it delivers pay rises that run at half the rate of inflation, that doesn't feel like a fair or independent process to our members.”
Following weeks of strikes by health, rail, civil service, teaching and postal unions, Conservative ministers have refused to reopen 2022 pay talks and say unions should now focus on next year’s negotiation.
Mr Nowak added that striking workers have been “left with no choice” after more than a decade of pay cuts as more groups of workers may also take industrial action.
When asked if strikes could push on through spring into summer he said: “Yep. They're prepared to do that and I'll tell you why.
“It’s not because union leaders are prepared to do it. It's because our members are telling us they've got no alternative. They can’t afford another year of real-terms pay cuts.”
Industrial action has caused mayhem for commuters across the UK
James Manning
Mr Nowak challenged the Government and employers to work with unions to end what he described as Britain’s “living standards nightmare”.
The general secretary said: “The solution lies in the hands of the government. We could certainly see new groups of workers taking strike action.
“But not a single one of our members in the public services wants to be stood on a picket line… What they want is for the government to listen.”
