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Media weighs in on strike action across UK sectors

12 December 2022205 views0

As postal, railway and healthcare workers set out plans for fresh strike action across the UK, coverage has been fiercely divided between left and right-wing media over the validity and necessity, or selfishness and overreaction, of these strikes.

Rising inflation, the increasing cost of living and rocketing energy and fuel costs have forced many in the public and service sectors to strike over pay and poor working conditions. Many of these sectors have received little to no pay increases despite rocketing prices that are far exceeding disposable earnings.

The weekend papers were subsequently dominated by strike coverage. Somewhat obviously, the right-leaning publications were quick to highlight the impact of the workers’ actions rather than the reasons why they feel forced to strike; left-leaning outlets were more sympathetic to their reasonings and critical of the government’s refusal to adequately compensate essential workers.

Overall, the response to the strikes has so far involved blaming the other political side, when it is perhaps more important to ask what we can or should do in order to safeguard the services we all rely on, regardless of our political leaning, rather than turning against each other.

Week of strikes holding Britain hostage: don’t fall ill, don’t rely on trains and forget sending Christmas cards

Daily Mail
front page, 10/12/2022

Misery on the railways every day for a month

The Times
front page, 10/12/2022

Ministers refuse to negotiate with nurses on pay to prevent NHS strikes

The Guardian

Labour vows war on ‘hostile’ health unions

The Telegraph

This headline takes comments by the shadow health secretary Wes Streeting grossly out of context
In an interview with the Telegraph, Streeting said, “Given that we have committed to more staff, I cannot for the life of me understand why the BMA is so hostile to the idea that with more staff must come better standards for patients.”
At no point in the interview did he “vow” the Labour party would “take on” a “war” against the health unions