Why Strike-Averse Britain Is Gripped by Industrial Action

Britain isn’t accustomed to the waves of labor unrest that can be a fact of life in countries where the right to strike is enshrined in law. Until recently, it appeared that coordinated, nationwide walkouts were largely a thing of the past, thanks partly to union-busting reforms pushed through by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. But as living costs soar, and even some people with jobs turn to food banks in order to eat, hundreds of thousands of UK workers are wielding their collective bargaining power to demand higher wages.

Much of the unrest is focused on state sectors where successive Conservative governments sought for many years to limit wage growth as a way to curb national borrowing. The strikes broke out in the first half of 2022 as inflation jumped, eventually reaching above 11% — one of the highest rates in Europe — tipping many working people into poverty. Unions say pay needs to rise to cover the soaring cost of food, energy, clothing and housing. Some of the strikes are in privatized or partly privatized services such as postal delivery and public transport, where the potential damage from service disruption gives employees leverage to demand better pay and conditions.