UK: 1.2K Troops to Cover for Striking Ambulance Drivers, Border Force Staff
Facts
- The British government on Sunday announced it would be sending military personnel to cover for striking ambulance staff in England and border staff across the UK, as multiple trade unions are set to hold industrial action over the Christmas holiday period.
- At least 1.2K troops will plug staffing gaps to keep front-line services running, as nurses and ambulance drivers are set to walk out towards the end of December. In addition, more than 1K civil servants are expected to cover for striking Border Force staff, as members of the Public and Commercial Services union are planning to cease work between December 23 and New Year's Eve.
- The UK is facing a wave of strikes over the festive season, with staff from different sectors — including Royal Mail — seeking pay increases to keep pace with inflation. Reiterating that union demands are "not affordable," UK Health Secretary Steve Barclay has argued he is "making the best use of the armed forces," in order to keep patients "as safe as possible."
- British PM Rishi Sunak has also hit out at trade unions for "causing misery for millions" with "particularly cruelly timed" strikes. Accusing the Labour Party of backing "the Grinches," he said the unions want to steal Christmas for their political ends.
- However, unions have warned that the military is not sufficiently trained to guard the country's borders or drive ambulances. Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, held the government, its "spin doctors," and the Health Secretary guilty of: "building an Everest of hypocrisy and falsehoods on the NHS crisis."
- Meanwhile, nurses and ambulance crews have assured that they will still respond to emergencies during their strikes. Onay Kasab, Unite national lead officer, insists that striking workers are "committed to scramble off picket lines and get into ambulances" if needed.
Sources: Independent, BBC News, The National, Movies, and iNews.
Narratives
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Sky News. Soldiers are no substitute for trained nurses. Instead of spending hours making notionally "tried and tested" contingency plans, the government could better use their time and resources to get around the negotiating table and prevent the strikes from taking place.
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by BBC News. Striking workers want deals that will pinch the UK taxpayers hardest. Bowing to their unreasonable demands will set a precedent, allowing public sector pay to get out of control. The government must refrain from upping pay offers despite the threat of further industrial action in the new year.
- Narrative C, as provided by New Statesman. It's perilous to rely on the military as the ultimate backstop. Trade unions and the government must find a way through negotiations, as their ego issues risk lives, add to the military's burden, and leave industrial disputes unresolved.