UK strike action spreads after walkouts by barristers, port workers and rubbish collectors


Neil Murphy
  • English
  • Arabic

Britain has been plagued by a summer of strikes, with the unrest spreading after walkouts by port workers, rubbish collectors and public servants.

The strikes have been prompted by below-inflation pay offers, despite the cost of living increasing by 10 per cent year-on-year and forecast to rise even higher.

Walkouts by rail workers and bus drivers have already brought London to a standstill on some days, with trains cancelled and the tube network almost entirely shut down.

Workers at Heathrow Airport called off a strike over pay at the 11th hour, while staff at Stansted Airport in Essex are holding a vote on whether to take action.

Members of the Unite union are on strike at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk, where about 2,000 dock workers have walked out in a dispute over pay.

The union is calling for a 10 per cent pay rise to keep wages roughly in line with UK inflation, while the port has proposed a 7 per cent increase plus a £500 ($592) one-off payment.

About 40,000 Communication Workers' Union members who work at BT and Openreach have also called a strike over a below-inflation pay offer. The 24-hour walkout includes engineers and call centre workers.

The stoppage next Wednesday will coincide with a strike by CWU members of the Royal Mail in a separate row over pay and conditions.

The CWU says it is also preparing a ballot for members across Capita O2 and Tesco Mobile partnerships.

Unite said that 1,600 drivers at bus company London United would strike over the bank holiday weekend, adding disruption to services which could affect those attending the Notting Hill Carnival.

The union claims the dispute is a result of workers only being offered a pay increase of 3.6 per cent for 2022 and 4.2 per cent for next year.

General secretary Sharon Graham said French firm RATP, which owns London United, was “an incredibly wealthy” company that could afford to raise wages.

AQA exam board workers have agreed to strike this month, and members of the National Union of Journalists at Reach plc — which includes the Express and Mirror newspaper groups — will also walk out after rejecting a 3 per cent pay increase.

Bins overflowing with litter on the Canongate in Edinburgh city centre after a strike by refuse workers. PA
Bins overflowing with litter on the Canongate in Edinburgh city centre after a strike by refuse workers. PA

In Scotland, Edinburgh’s streets have been left with overflowing rubbish bins after workers walked out last Thursday in protest against a “derisory” and “pathetic” pay rise offer.

The strike is scheduled to last until August 30, but rubbish is already littering the city streets and black bags are piling up outside homes.

Members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), who have been stopping work on alternate weeks since June, voted for an all-out, indefinite strike that would start on September 5, coinciding with the announcement of the new Conservative party leader and British prime minister.

Ministry of Justice figures indicate that more than 6,000 court hearings have been disrupted a result of the dispute over conditions and government-set fees for legal aid advocacy work.

More strikes by nurses are also on the cards after unions reacted angrily to a proposed pay deal for healthcare workers.

COPA DEL REY

Semi-final, first leg

Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')

Second leg, February 27

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

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The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Oscars in the UAE

The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am

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Three ways to boost your credit score

Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:

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3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.

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Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
At a glance

Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free

Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland

UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan

WITHIN%20SAND
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'The Lost Daughter'

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson

Rating: 4/5

The Vile

Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

Karwaan

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala

Director: Akarsh Khurana

Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar

Rating: 4/5

FIGHT%20CARD
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Updated: August 26, 2022, 4:37 PM