UK faces winter of discontent, turns to army as wave of crippling strikes loom
- Britain faces a winter of discontent as strikes multiply – only the police, military and prison guards are barred from striking
- Military will ‘step in and backfill some of the vital roles’, such as ambulance and border security staff, Interior minister said
Britain’s government said on Thursday that it was preparing to enlist the army to cover ambulances and border security ahead of a wave of strikes this month by workers demanding higher wages.
Interior minister Suella Braverman warned the public against flying over Christmas, after passport control officers voted to walk out.
“If they go ahead with those strikes there will be undeniable, serious disruption caused to many thousands of people who have holiday plans,” Braverman told reporters.
The Border Force agency is training 2,000 soldiers to back up its personnel, officials said.
The Ministry of Defence is also in talks with the National Health Service, Downing Street said, after ambulance drivers voted to join nurses in striking this month.
The passport control staff and ambulance drivers have joined many sectors who have opted for strike action this year as decades-high inflation erodes the value of earnings.