In the past month, the UK has experienced the largest series of labor actions in decades. Underlying each of the strikes across various industries has been the recent issue of inflation and the subsequent soaring costs of living. Additionally, workers in the UK never regained the purchasing power lost during the 2008 financial crisis, and the British government has drawn a hard line against unions by staunchly resisted labor demands. The most prominent groups of workers striking have included nurses, public sector employees, postal workers, and rail workers, who have more walkouts planned for the Christmas holiday. These workers are demanding pay raises that reflect the financial strains imposed by inflation and compensate their overwork.
See "Recent series of labor actions and strikes in the UK reflect workers' dissatisfaction with pay amidst persistent inflation", Frank Langfitt, NPR, December 20, 2022