Unions have threatened general strike action to cripple the country this winter as rail workers announced a new week of network disruption.
The UK’s largest trade union, Unison, as well as unions representing civil servants, rail and postal workers told the Trade Union Congress (TUC) that synchronised action will “end this pay crisis in this country”.
The Daily Telegraph said union bosses met on Tuesday for the annual TUC conference in Brighton, where outgoing general secretary Frances O'Grady said coordinated strike action was “already happening”.
She said: “When workers are left with no choice but to vote for strike action for decent pay, I say: bring it on.”
It comes as the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union (RMT) announced a fresh week of travel misery for commuters designed to coincide with Bonfire Night.
Mick Lynch, head of the RMT, was among union chiefs intensifying warnings of synchronised strike action at yesterday's conference. He told a fringe meeting: “We need an uprising. We need a whole wave of synchronised, coordinated action. I don’t care what it’s called.”
Mark Serwotka, the head of the PCS union that represents 150,000 civil servants, said “we stand prepared to take action on the same day as any other union to show the government we strike together”.
While Andy Kerr, the deputy general secretary of the CWU, the postal workers’ union, said he supported “coordinated industrial action to defend ourselves”.
FTSE 100
The UK's top share index, the FTSE 100, was up three-points at 6,940 shortly after opening this morning, following yesterday's 16-point gain.
Brent crude futures were 0.02% higher at $90.05 a barrel.
Companies reporting today
The following companies will be reporting today:
- Antofagasta - Q3 production report
- ASOS - Full year results
- Centamin Mining - Q3 production update
- Hargreaves Lansdown - Interim management statement
- Liontrust Asset Management - Half year trading statement
- Man Group - Trading statement
- Nestle - Q3 results
- Rathbones - Q3 results
- Spectris - Q3 results
- Tesla - Q3 results