London (TIP): Up to half a million British teachers, civil servants, and train drivers walked out over pay in the largest coordinated strike action for a decade on February 1, with unions threatening more disruption as the government digs its heels in over pay demands.
The mass walkouts across the country shut schools, halted most rail services, and forced the military to be put on standby to help with border checks on a day dubbed “Walkout Wednesday”.
According to unions, as many as 300,000 teachers took part, the biggest group involved, as part of wider action by 500,000 people, the highest number since 2011, when civil servants walked out en masse.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the strikes which forced millions of children to miss school. “I am clear that our children’s education is precious and they deserve to be in school today being taught,” he said.
His government has taken a hard line against the unions, arguing that giving in to the demands would fuel the inflation problem. — Reuters