British workers have had enough, and they are not afraid to show it. 2022 was the year everyone, it seemed, went on strike.
Since the summer, train drivers, postal workers, warehouse operatives, refuse workers, dockers, barristers and journalists have all downed tools to force their employers to listen to their demands. And the wave shows no sign of slowing, with nurses, teachers, and civil servants among those recently balloting to strike. In total, 741,000 working days were lost to industrial action between June and September.
It’s come with rhetoric not seen in the UK for years. The postal workers’ union accused Royal Mail of “a declaration of war”, while RMT boss Mick Lynch said rail bosses were part of a “cartel” taking part in a “corrupt system”.