The Chairman of the British Conservative Party, Nadhim Zahawihas affirmed this Sunday that the Government is considering deploying military personnel in response to the planned strikes for the coming weeks that could affect key sectors such as the transport.
Zahawi has explained that the military could “drive ambulances”, work in border management or in the health sector. “We have to be able to reach a safe level of treatment and support for patients (…). We are going to try to minimize the impact” of the strikes, she said in an interview on Sky News.
The government has announced that is training 2,000 people, including military personnel, civil servants and volunteersto work in strategic sectors as “one of the available options”, although it has indicated that a decision on a possible military intervention has not yet been made.
“This is not the time for strikes”
Several strikes have been called in key sectors such as transport, health, education or deliveries and it is estimated that tens of thousands of people will join to these calls to protest against the increase in the cost of living.
“This is not the time to strike. It’s time to try to negotiate“, Zahawi said. “If you try to lower inflation it could cause higher inflation and affect the most vulnerable,” he argued.
If a negotiation is not achieved, the government “has the right and responsibility to have contingency plans.” “We are considering the Army. We are considering a response with a specialized force (…) to increase capacity,” he indicated.
offer rejected
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This same Sunday The railway employers have made an offer to the Union of Railway, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) which has been rejected because “it does not meet any criteria to achieve a long-term agreement on job security, decent pay and protection of working conditions,” as explained by the general secretary of the RMT, Mick Lynch.
The employers have reported that their proposal included wage increases of up to 8 percent between 2022 and 2023 and “necessary” reforms.