UK PM Rishi Sunak stands firm amid serial strike action

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his debut before a House of Commons committee to answer a barrage of questions on Tuesday to defend his actions at a time when his government is under immense pressure with serial strike action by workers across the public sector.

Sunak was firm on his inflation busting message as he was grilled by cross-party MPs of the Liaison Committee, in charge of scrutiny of the government, as state-funded National Health Service (NHS) nurses were undertaking a second day of strike demanding better pay and working conditions. Further industrial action is planned by NHS ambulance operators, railway workers, border force staff and postal workers over the course of the next few weeks.

“I've always been very clear in expressing my gratitude and admiration for our NHS workers and indeed our public sector workers across the board for the job that they do,” said Sunak, during questioning in the Parliament complex.

“I've acknowledged that it is difficult for everyone because inflation is where it is and the best way to help them and to help everyone else in the country is for us to get a grip and reduce inflation as quickly as possible. And we need to make sure that the decisions that we make can bring about that outcome. Because if we get it wrong and we're still dealing with high inflation in a year's time, that's not going to help anybody,” he said.

The British Indian leader pointed to the independent pay review process, whose recommendations the government follows on public sector pay. But workers' unions have expressed a lack of faith in the process.

Asked if he would consider a reform of that process, Sunak added: I don't think I do want to see a reform to it… They're balancing what's affordable for the taxpayer, that's ultimately all these things have to be paid for, with the need to make sure we can recruit and retain staff in the various sectors in the various sectors in which they're operating. I don't think most people would quibble with those as things to consider.

“Inflation is also important. It's not just important for us, it's been important for governments over the last few decades and that's an important part of what they do as well.” Sunak continues to face calls from unions to reopen talks on nurses' pay and deal with the growing wave of strikes across the public services over the Christmas and new year period. In a statement released ahead of the strikes, nurses' union chief Pat Cullen said she believed the dispute could get "wrapped up by Christmas" if ministers engaged with union talks. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called for a 19 per cent pay rise but the government has said this is unaffordable.

The government has, meanwhile, turned to armed forces personnel to cover some essential tasks over the strike action period even as concern grows over Wednesday's ambulance drivers strike in England and Wales. They are also demanding above-inflation pay rises, but have not set a specific figure, amid a cost of living crisis of soaring household bills.