A LABOUR MP says he would back a general strike – saying workers should be able to fight for better pay and conditions.
Khalid Mahmood spoke out after the newly-elected leader of the TUC, Paul Nowak, suggested unions would coordinate strike action.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, Mr Mahmood said: “I support the rights of the people to be able to strike. If they want to coordinate that they’re totally at will to do that. And call that a general strike, then yes. People who work, who want to have the right sort of pay and conditions, they should be able to do that once they’ve gone through all the requirements. If they’ ve gone through that, then yes they should be able to strike.”
His comments come as it emerged there could be a “rolling wave” of industrial action next year with unions coordinating strikes on the same day.
Paul Nowak, has taken over the job of heading the Trades Union Congress during the biggest outbreak of industrial unrest in a generation, with the leaders of health, rail, civil service, teaching and postal unions increasingly angry at the lack of involvement from government ministers.
Mr Nowak said the strikes “could end tomorrow if the government was prepared for serious and sensible discussions about pay”.
He warned of further disruption if ministers don’t come to the table, saying unions have a “responsibility” to support striking workers, “and that means in some circumstances coordinated industrial action”.
“Our unions will be continuing to talk in the new year about how we best support and coordinate unions taking that strike action,” he said.
“In some cases, that might mean unions taking strike action on the same day and in other cases it will be a rolling wave of industrial action.”
The comments came as railway cleaners and road traffic officers became the latest sectors to join strike action sweeping the country.
Nurses, ambulance workers and other NHS staff have already been joined by rail, bus and postal workers in going on strike in December in a row over pay and conditions.
Teachers, civil servants, National Highways employees, airport baggage handlers and homeless charity employees have also walked off the job, while Border Force workers based at a number of airports are continuing with strike action until New Year’s Eve.
