Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

'Significant disruption' warning as UK braces for mass strikes

'Significant disruption' warning as UK braces for mass strikes

The British government has warned of "significant disruption" on Wednesday in the biggest series of strikes in a decade involving school teachers and classroom assistants, some bus and train drivers, security guards, civil servants, and staff at 150 universities.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson told reporters the sheer scale of the strikes would make things "very difficult for the public trying to go about their daily lives."

"We are upfront that this will disrupt people's lives and that's why we think negotiations rather than picket lines are the right approach," the spokesperson said.

Wednesday's wave of industrial action is just the latest in a series of strikes to hit various parts of the UK -- and which will continue next week with strikes planned by nurses, midwives, ambulance crews, physiotherapists, railway workers and university staff again.

In England and Wales, teachers are taking industrial action for the first time since 2016 over demands for better pay.

London school teacher Lucy Preston will miss her son's fourth birthday this week because she has to work a second job in the evening as a private tutor to make sure she can pay for her childcare and mortgage.

The single mother of two will join other teachers on the picket lines on Wednesday in the hope of earning a pay rise that will give her stretched household budget some relief.

"It's utterly heartbreaking for me," 38-year-old Preston said of missing her son's birthday. She works as an English teacher three days a week, looking after her kids on the other two days as she cannot afford childcare every day.

"If I could just make enough money to not have to do the tutoring in the evening, I would have a much, much happier life ... It's just a really, really depressing place to be in."

The National Education Union (NEU), which is organizing the teachers' strikes, has asked for an above-inflation pay award funded fully by the government, so that schools can also cover other costs, from stationery to textbooks.

With inflation reaching double digits last year, teachers have seen a 23% real-terms pay cut since 2010, the union says.

Preston says mortgage payments eat into two-thirds of her 1,800 pounds-a-month (€2040) salary, forcing her to find other ways to make money, such as renting out a room in her house to a lodger and buying cheaper, frozen food instead of fresh produce.

"The stress that causes is absolutely unbelievable ... Every single month, it is a struggle," said Preston, who has worked as a teacher since 2011.

The government, which has held unsuccessful talks with the NEU, has called its one-year, 5% pay award for teachers the highest "in a generation" and says it is investing 4 billion pounds in schools over the next two years.

The Public and Commercial Services Union says 100,000 civil servants will be taking strike action on Wednesday.

"As the cost-of-living crisis worsens, with inflation at nearly 11%, members are saying they’ve had enough of being treated appallingly. Our campaign is for a 10% pay rise, pensions justice, job security and no cuts in redundancy terms," PCS said in a statement.

Wednesday's industrial action will impact the vehicle licensing agency, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and government departments like the Home Office and Department of Health and Social Care.

The union's general secretary Mark Serwotka said in an online event ahead of the strike that striking workers were "battling hard against a ruthless government."

Staff at 150 universities striking on Wednesday

Around 70,000 staff at 150 universities across the UK are also expected to join strike action on Wednesday, protesting over pay, working conditions and pensions.

It's the first of 18 days of planned strikes which unions say will impact 2.5 million students during February and March.

University bosses have offered a 5% pay increase but unions say that offer is not enough, and expect members to reject the offer.

The University and College Union (UCU) also wants to see cuts to pensions rolled back and benefits restored, as they say members will lose on average 35% of their guaranteed future retirement income.

"University vice-chancellors have been given multiple opportunities to use the sector's vast wealth to resolve these disputes. Instead, they have forced staff back to the picket line and brought disruption to students," said UCU general secretary Jo Grady.

'Staff aren't asking for much. They want a decent pay rise, secure employment and for devastating pension cuts to be reversed. These demands are reasonable and deliverable by a sector which has over £40bn in reserves."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×