All articles tagged with #industrial action
Ian Sample discusses with James Kinross the importance of the gut microbiome, its vulnerability to modern lifestyle changes, and ways to maintain its health. This episode is a re-run due to industrial action by the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak admitted in a TalkTV interview with Piers Morgan that the government has failed to fulfill its pledge to reduce NHS waiting lists in England, citing the impact of industrial action in the health service. Sunak also defended the policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda to deter Channel crossings, and accepted a £1,000 bet that deportation flights would resume before the next election. The admission comes after Sunak set out five priorities in January 2023, including measures on the economy and illegal immigration, with NHS waiting list reduction being one of them. As of November 2023, the overall number of waits for non-emergency care in England stood at around 7.6 million, approximately 400,000 higher than at the start of 2023.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has stated that avoiding a winter crisis in the NHS is her top priority. The health service is facing potential pressure this winter due to record waiting lists and warnings about fewer extra beds. Planning for winter started earlier than usual, resulting in the creation of 5,000 additional beds. However, the government's target to reduce waiting lists is at risk of failing unless doctors abandon plans for industrial action, which has already led to the rescheduling of 1.1 million appointments. The Health Foundation think tank estimates that industrial action has added around 210,000 patients to the waiting list.
UK Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has warned that Chancellor Rishi Sunak's pledge to cut NHS waiting lists may be at risk due to potential industrial action by doctors. Atkins urged doctors to reach an agreement with the government over pay and conditions, stating that the waiting list target cannot be met unless they do. The government still needs doctors' unions to approve a deal and for junior doctors to strike a separate agreement to resolve the ongoing chaos in the health service. The waiting list is one of four pledges that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been unable to meet, along with growing the economy, cutting government debt, and stopping small boat crossings across the Channel.
The Detroit Three automakers and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union are in the final hours to reach new labor agreements before the current strike expands to include more plants. The UAW launched simultaneous strikes at one assembly plant each of General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, but analysts expect a wider strike to include plants that produce highly profitable pickup trucks. If new deals are not reached by noon EDT on Friday, more UAW members are expected to join the strike. The standoff raises concerns about prolonged industrial action that could disrupt production and impact the supply chain, potentially affecting U.S. economic growth.
Workers at Chevron's liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in Western Australia have begun a 24-hour strike, with the potential for strikes to continue until mid-October. The Offshore Alliance union, representing workers, has escalated their industrial action, allowing for daily 24-hour strikes and refusal of tasks such as loading LNG tankers. Chevron's Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG facilities account for over 5% of global supply. The company has asked Australia's industrial tribunal to intervene and cancel the strikes, with a hearing scheduled for Friday. The strikes have caused a temporary outage at the Wheatstone facility, but the impact on global LNG supplies is expected to be minimal.
Industrial action by dockworkers across US west coast ports has entered its fourth day, causing severe disruptions to operations. Talks between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have been ongoing for 13 months. If the shutdowns become widespread and protracted, freight rates into the US might increase quite sharply, warns Lars Jensen, CEO of consultancy Vespucci Maritime.