RISHI Sunak slammed teacher strikes today as he defiantly told MPs that kids “deserve to be in school”.
At PMQs Mr Sunak hit out at thousands of staff who walked out of work this morning in a major dispute over pay.
Rishi Sunak hit out at striking teachers today as he said pupils “deserve to be in school”
“I am clear that our children’s education is precious and they deserve to be in school today being taught,” he said.
Today’s strike comes after last-ditch negotiation talks between Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and union bosses failed yesterday – and amid the biggest industrial action in a decade.
This morning Ms Keegan told Times Radio: “I am disappointed that it has come to this, that the unions have made this decision.
“It is not a last resort. We are still in discussions. Obviously there is a lot of strike action today but this strike did not need to go ahead.”
Up to half a million workers across seven trade unions are walking out in increasingly bitter disputes over pay, jobs and conditions, affecting schools, universities, trains, buses and airports.
This includes teachers, lecturers, civil servants, train drivers, security guards, bus drivers and airport staff.
Fifteen rail firms aren’t running any trains at all, bringing most routes to a halt, while 1,900 bus drivers in London alone are off the job.
Queues will build up at airports as passport booth staff walk out – though 600 military personnel will cover.
Some 100,000 civil servants across 124 government departments including the DVLA and Department for Work and Pensions have stayed out.
And 70,000 University and College Union members at 150 sites are also off work.
Nurses will walk out again on Monday for 48 hours and ambulance workers just on February 6.
In the Commons Mr Sunak accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of siding with union chiefs over suffering children.
“He can’t stand up to his union bosses,” the PM blasted.
“He can’t stand up for Britain’s schoolchildren today.”
Labour recently opposed a new Bill to guarantee that vital public services run at minimum levels on strike days.
NHS workers, rail workers, firefighters and teachers could be forced to show up to the job in the future, even if they voted to strike.
If they don’t, they face getting the sack.
Sir Keir described the new legislation as a “war on nurses” and vowed to repeal it if Labour wins the next election.
Did you miss our previous article...
https://trendinginthenews.com/uk-politics/boris-johnson-says-brexit-helped-save-lives-as-he-hits-out-at-partygate-critics-as-out-of-their-minds
