London, Europe Brief News – More than 300,000 UK nurses declared a one-day strike, demanding better pay.
The strike is the first of its kind in Britain’s history.
The union is asking for a pay rise of 5 percent above inflation as the cost of living soars.
The UK has seen a wave of industrial unrest this year across industries from railways to the law as pay fails to keep up with inflation, running at 10 percent, and surging energy costs.
The strike action also threatens significant disruption to a health system.
The health system already suffers from persistent government underinvestment, the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe shortage of staff.
Over the weekend, thousands of protesters took into London streets, calling for a general election amid the worsening cost-of-living crisis in the UK.
Under the slogan the “Britain is Broken”, thousands of protesters participated in the march. They demanded immediate general elections, action on low pay, and the repeal of “anti-union” employment laws.
Protester Adam Robinson said people would “keep shouting” until the government listened, and likened the movement to the 1990 poll tax riots, which he credited with causing then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s fall from power.
Earlier last month, theEuropean Commission and EU ministers presented and approved a plan to cut gas consumption over the coming months.