IMO caused by successive Govts doing the equivalent of being in denial and hiding the bills at the back of the draw hoping they will go away. Eventually it comes home to roost. The unions - made up of working people (currently being berated by the 'Daily Fail') are the equivalent of the bailiffs have finally had enough. Unfortunately it has got to the point where the arrears are so high the Government has a huge problem. You may as a Government get away with propaganda to demonise an individual union but when so many across the board (some of which are historically reluctant to take action), you have to face up to the fact that you are not far way from riots and insurrection. A moderately stable society can soon turn if thing get bad enough especially when they see a small section of society apparently immune to the problems. I am not for one second inciting or condoning militant action but just stating the possibility that even in the 'moderate' UK there is a tipping point. Nor do I have a solution. Inflation does need getting under control and in a global economy we need to re main competitive BUT the people who produce the wealth need to get their fair share not just the privileged few. I apologise for stating the bleedin' obvious, but that said, it seems to have escaped those in power.
End tax dodging and avoidence schemes. It might not raise much additional revenue, but it could reduce the "them and us " attitude (though the rich will always find a way round it, like they always do).
If wages had grown properly over the past decade then there wouldn't be as much strike action now. People need big salary increases just to keep their heads above water. This government's response is to demand minimum service levels are maintained during strike action and should be the last straw, there should be a general strike coordinated.
Nailed it mate, 50,000 Civil Servants, mainly in the DWP and HMRC now on NMW. These are experienced staff who have been in the dept. Years who who have high responsibilities. I was one of these people and know from personal experience how my wages, terms and conditions dropped during my 18 years service. Unfortunately, much is to blame on these same folk as they/we collectively just basically sat back and did little to fight back in the past. Now the car crashing of the economy by egoistical Tories and the unprecedented cost of living crisis have pushed ‘passive’ people into a position where they have little option but to say enough is enough. Apparently the big rise in TU membership reflects this
Austerity was brought in because the deficit was temporarily so high due to the credit crunch. Austerity was justified by a report by a couple of leading economists that contained probably the most expensive Excel error in history - which when corrected removed the reason for austerity in the first place (growth slowed when debt-GDP went above ~90%). Since austerity, national debt has soared - it doubled by 2019 - and inequality has increased massively. Add onto that the problems from Brexit - at the very least politicians and the public were distracted from other issues for 5+ years - plus Covid, Ukraine, etc and the country is now a tinderbox. And the leaders prefer to stamp down on the people rather than address their (often legitimate) concerns. Sooner or later, we'll have a riot that makes the London riots of 2011 look like a party.
Militant action is required and urgently, our cousins across the channel wouldn’t stand for what we are.
You don’t need a degree in economics to see the answer to the problems caused by austerity is obviously not more austerity. If taking billions out of the economy reduced government income, then it ought to be obvious that the opposite will also be true. The greatest con trick the Tories ever pulled off was the idea that the economy could be compared to a household. The reality is that it’s much more complex than a business, in household finances, there’s nothing that compares with investment and growth, a business has that but doesn’t get any instant cash back from its spending. If you give a nurse £1 you’ll instantly get >20p back, followed by as much again within the month. Of the 60p non directly taxed, that goes round the economy and gets taxed some more whilst also growing the economy. The idea in the OP that increased wages are ‘too expensive’ is part of the con the Tories have pulled off.
Inflation has to be brought back under control. So the government can’t afford pay rises. Well over at last 15 years inflation was at historic lows. But no one could have a pay rise then as the government wanted to avoid inflation. So, no pay rises whatever the state of the economy.
That's if you don't address the tax loop holes for the rich. The sooner we stop off shoring and tax avoidance the better we all will be as a result. Brexit and Austerity should mean that the Tories are nowhere near power. Unfortunately we are at least 2 years away from getting shut of them for a generation. It's not like this wasn't given as a warning to people over the last few elections and the referendum. All the flags were there, but people ignored them. Its almost too late tbf, the country is a shell of what it once was.
For me, this shower were praying for these strikes to happen. They can now take away even more workers rights as we're not in the E.U. anymore, they are already on with it
