Latest strike by UK workers could bring delays at airports

Hundreds of thousands of passengers could be affected, though the British government said it was preparing military personnel and workers from other public services to help out at airports.

The strikes are putting pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, which is refusing demands from public sector workers for substantial pay rises.

Inflation stood at 10.7 per cent in November, driven by food and energy prices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Thousands of national health service nurses walked off the job Tuesday in their second 24-hour strike this month. Ambulance drivers, paramedics and dispatchers also went on strike earlier this week and plan another walkout on December 28.

Postal deliveries, highway maintenance and driving tests are also being disrupted by strikes.

The labour unrest is set to continue into the new year, when more strikes are planned.