Sunak Has Weak Hand on Strikes and Should Settle, Economists Say
- Country faces a ‘year of discontent’ without a deal on pay
- Treasury warns of wage-price spiral and cost of wage rises
Rishi Sunak
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Two senior economists warned the UK government is fighting a losing battle with unions over public-sector pay that will only extend strikes and delay wage inflation because the bargaining position of workers is too strong.
Charles Goodhart, a former Bank of England policy maker and professor at the London School of Economics, said politicians will condemn the UK not just to a “winter of discontent” reminiscent of the 1970s but “a year of discontent” unless they agree a wage deal to end the ongoing industrial action.