Union leaders in Britain indicated that they will embark on a wave of strikes after the government offered pay increases that were below the rate of inflation.
Britain is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis as inflation, which is at a 40-year high of 9.4 per cent, eats into workers' pay packets.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet on Tuesday signed off on pay increases of more than 5 five per cent for millions of public sector employees, an increase that which union bosses rejected as a pay cut in real terms.
The government is trying to hit a delicate balance by offering pay increases that will avert strike action but also help to curb the spiralling inflation rate.
More than one million NHS staff, including nurses, paramedics and midwives, will receive an increase of at least £1,400 ($1,678) a year, with the lowest earners to receive up to 9.3 per cent.
Under the pay proposals, dentists and doctors will get a 4.5 per cent pay rise, police 5 per cent and teachers between 5 per cent and 8.9 per cent.
One union leader warned of co-ordinated strike action in response to pay announcements by ministers.
Meanwhile, members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England will be balloted on industrial action.
General secretary of the Trades Union Conference, Frances O’Grady, said that NHS workers had "put their lives on the line to get us through the pandemic" and that this was "no way to repay that service".
“This below-inflation award will hit morale at a time when staff are leaving in droves and staff shortages are crippling vital services", she said.
The average basic pay for nurses will increase from about £35,600 as of March 2022 to about £37,000 and the basic pay for newly qualified nurses will increase by 5.5 per cent, from £25,655 last year to £27,055.
Unison’s head of health Sara Gorton said that her members were now considering industrial action owing to the "pitiful" award, and claimed that the "majority of the public will be behind them”.
Teachers' unions are also threatening a nationwide strike, despite the announcement that the starting salary for teachers outside London will rise by 8.9 per cent to £28,000.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: "Given this very poor pay proposal, we will look towards consulting our members in the autumn. This will be the largest ballot of teachers for a generation."
It comes a day after more than 115,000 postal workers at Royal Mail voted to strike over pay in what is expected to be the biggest industrial action to hit Britain this summer.
A total of 97.6 per cent of those who voted backed strikes, on a turn-out of 77 per cent, in protest at a 2 per cent pay offer, the Communication Workers Union said.
Firefighters taking strike action is a “very serious proposition”, the leader of the union in Scotland said.
The Fire Brigades Union this week rejected a 2 per cent pay increase, which the union’s Scottish secretary described as “insulting”.
It comes as firefighters across the UK tackled blazes that followed record-setting temperatures of more than 40ºC.
The soaring cost of living has already led to industrial action on Britain's railways in recent weeks.
Workers from the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will stage a further walk-out for 24 hours on Wednesday July 27 in the bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions.
The strike will affect passengers travelling for holidays or attending events such as the women’s Euro 2022 semi-final in Milton Keynes on July 27, and the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham the following day.
Network Rail said a “very limited” timetable will be available across the country on the strike day, with about 20 per cent of services running and some parts of the country with no rail services.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “There is no cost-of-living crisis for the rich in Britain and RMT, along with other unions, will not meekly accept pay freezes.
“Britain deserves a pay rise and we will pursue our national rail dispute with a resolute determination to make sure we agree a negotiated settlement.”
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
BMW M5 specs
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- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
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Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
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RESULTS
Tottenham 1
Jan Vertonghen 13'
Norwich 1
Josip Drmic 78'
2-3 on penalties
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
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