Opinion | Amid UK’s winter of strikes, Hong Kong life seems all the more appealing with city’s efficient transport system and robust health service
- Almost everyone in the UK seems to be on strike, from nurses and ambulance drivers to railway workers, postal workers and even driving examiners
- Strikes are rare in Hong Kong, with the power balance weighted in favour of employers. But in that, the city has some catching up to do
It is almost 50 years since Britain endured its “winter of discontent”, when industrial action by trade unions paralysed services and disrupted daily life. My childhood memories from the 1970s include uncollected rubbish in the streets and power blackouts plunging my home into darkness. Now, history is repeating itself.
As in the ’70s, inflation is high and workers are demanding wages keep pace. Pay has largely failed to keep up with the cost of living. Unions accuse officials of being mean and stubborn. The government says it cannot afford inflationary pay demands. There is a deadlock.
The strikes have taken their toll in recent months. The biggest concern is in the health sector. During a recent one-day strike by ambulance services, the government warned people not to indulge in “risky” activities including getting drunk or playing sports.
The National Health Service is under immense pressure, with Covid-19 cases and the flu season increasing demand when it is already stretched by insufficient resources.