British government turns to army ahead of wave of strikes this month

LONDON 

Britain’s government has said it was preparing to enlist the army to cover ambulances and border security ahead of a wave of strikes this month by workers demanding higher wages.

Interior minister Suella Braverman warned the public against flying over Christmas, after passport control officers voted to walk out.

“If they go ahead with those strikes there will be undeniable, serious disruption caused to many thousands of people who have holiday plans,” Braverman told reporters.

The Border Force agency is training 2,000 soldiers to back up its personnel, officials said.

The Ministry of Defence is also in talks with the National Health Service, Downing Street said, after ambulance drivers voted to join nurses in striking this month.

The passport control staff and ambulance drivers have joined many sectors who have opted for strike action this year as decades-high inflation erodes the value of earnings.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Dec. 7 hinted that ministers were preparing new legislation to outlaw strikes in critical sectors.

Currently, only Britain’s police, military and prison guards are barred by law from striking.

Britain faces a winter of discontent as strikes multiply in the face of spiralling consumer prices. Many travellers will struggle to get home for Christmas as transport staff walk out. Airports, buses, railways and roads face potential gridlock as a result of strikes, which will also hit Eurostar services.

British inflation stands above 11 percent, the highest level in more than 40 years.

The Financial Times estimates that more than one million working days will be lost to industrial action in December.

Analysts however talked down the overall economic impact.”While the strikes feel quite widespread, in practice only a small share of the workforce will be on strike at the same time,” noted Paul Dales at research consultancy Capital Economics.He conceded however that “any hit” to economic activity “is not helpful when the economy is probably already in recession.”