Rishi Sunak issues pay 'restraint' message to striking workers
Health Editor Emily Morgan sits down with the prime minister to discuss strikes and record-breaking NHS waiting lists
Rishi Sunak has said he will do "whatever [he needs] to do" to "protect people's safety" as the UK faces a wave of strikes in the run-up to Christmas.
Teachers, Royal Mail workers, nurses, rail workers, train drivers, and Border Force staff are among those set to walk out over pay and conditions.
There will be almost one strike every day in the run-up to Christmas.
The PM was asked how he plans to resolve the winter of discontent as workers prepare to take their grievances over pay and conditions to the picket lines, amid a backdrop of rising inflation and the soaring cost of living.
Mr Sunak told ITV News: "If union leaders aren’t going to be reasonable, then my priority is to protect peoples safety and to minimise the disruption on their day-to-day.
"I will do whatever I need to do to make sure that’s what is going to happen."
ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi has the latest as the UK faces a wave of industrial action
Just yesterday, Mr Sunak promised MPs “new tough laws” to curb the impact of industrial action.
He told ITV News on Wednesday that the government was "trying to act reasonably" in talks with the nursing union.
There are concerns that patient care and waiting times will be hit when nurses strike on December 15.
Political Editor Robert Peston on whether or not the strikes can be averted
Mr Sunak added: "When it comes to pay, we have an independent body that makes recommendations… and the government, in the sprit of reasonableness, accepted all those recommendations in full."
"The most important thing we can do to help people is to control inflation. We've got to reduce inflation. That's what's making life difficult for nurses and for everyone else in the country.
"And a big part of how we're going to grip and reduce inflation is by having restraint when it comes to pay settlements and making sure that they're reasonable and fair."
Unions have called on the Government to engage in “meaningful” pay talks and to stop its “smoke and mirrors” tactics over the wave of strikes sweeping the country.
ITV News presenter Tom Bradby explains the timeline of this winter's strikes
Unions call for 'genuine' negotiations
In a joint letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady and the chair of the union public sector liaison group and general secretary of Unison, Christina McAnea, on Wednesday night accused ministers of refusing to negotiate in good faith and of “hiding behind” pay review bodies.
Criticising the Government’s approach to negotiations, the union leaders claimed all requests for meaningful talks on pay have been stonewalled.
They said: “No public sector workers want to take strike action this winter. They are committed public servants who take great pride in their jobs and the communities they serve.
“But the Government has left them with no choice.
“Good industrial relations require both parties to be willing to negotiate in good faith and to have open conversations.
“When your Cabinet colleagues have met unions, they have repeatedly refused to talk about public sector pay. Ignoring the main issue on the table isn’t a negotiation.
“Ministers cannot continue to hide behind pay review bodies. The Government sets their remit.“If ministers genuinely want to resolve these disputes, they must address what’s causing them.”
Highlighting “huge” pay cuts public sector workers have suffered, the union leaders warned: “With CPI inflation over 11% and RPI inflation above 14%, frontline workers are facing another massive real-terms hit to their wages.
“Nurses, ambulance staff, teachers and millions of other key workers have already seen their living standards decimated with over a decade of pay cuts and wage freezes.
“Nurses today are earning £5,000 a year less in real terms than they were in 2010. And hospitals and schools are having to set up food banks for staff.
“This cannot go on. Every month dedicated employees are quitting public services in droves – tired of being taken for granted and of services being run down.”
They called for an urgent meeting with the Chancellor, saying: “It’s time to raise taxes on wealth – not workers.“Now is not the time for smoke and mirrors. Now is the time for genuine negotiations.”
Nurses, ambulance workers and other NHS staff are due to strike in the coming weeks.
Which workers are striking this month?
Teachers in Scotland
Royal Mail workers
Midwives
Civil servants
Rail workers
Paramedics
Emergency care assistants, call handlers and other NHS staff
Border Force staff
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