British Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi said Sunday that the government is considering deploying military troops in response to strikes planned for the coming weeks that could affect key sectors such as transport.
Zahawi explained that the military could «drive ambulances,» work in border management or in the health sector. «We have to be able to get to a safe level of treatment and support for patients (…). We will try to minimize the impact» of the strikes, he said in an interview on Sky News.
The government has already announced that it is training 2,000 people, including military personnel, civil servants and volunteers, to work in strategic sectors as «one of the options available», although it has indicated that a decision on a possible military intervention has not yet been taken.
Several strikes have been called in key sectors such as transport, health, education or deliveries and it is estimated that tens of thousands of people will join these calls to protest the rising cost of living.
«This is not the time for strikes. This is the time to try to negotiate,» Zahawi said. «If you try to lower inflation it could lead to higher inflation and affect the most vulnerable,» he has argued.
If a negotiation fails, the government «has the right and the responsibility to have contingency plans.» «We are shuffling the Army. We are shuffling a response with a specialized force (…) to increase capacity,» he has indicated.
Just this Sunday, the rail bosses made an offer to the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers’ Union (RMT) that was rejected because «it does not meet any criteria for a long-term agreement on job security, decent pay and protection of working conditions», as explained by RMT general secretary Mick Lynch.
The employers have reported that their proposal included wage rises of up to 8 percent between 2022 and 2023 and «necessary» reforms.
