The people of the United Kingdom have taken to the streets in a show of solidarity and protest against the government’s plans to pass a law that would limit the right to strike. This Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of people, many of them teachers, gathered in the streets to demand better working conditions and wage increases.
Luisa Di Maria, an art teacher, stated: “We need to get paid more. But I think education in general needs more money. More staff, more competition in teaching as well, so that a principal can choose between 20 teachers instead of just two, so that our children receive a high-quality education. Yes, I think we need more, more and more.”
Maud Waret, another teacher, added: “It’s just a political choice, actually, because I know that there is money, there is money in this country, it is one of the richest in Europe. What happens is that students from public schools are not valued enough for more money to be spent on their education.”
The strikes and protests have caused thousands of schools to close, public transport to be disrupted, and delays on railways and airports. The unions have reported that more than half a million people have participated in the protest. This is the biggest demonstration the country has seen in the last 12 years.
Given the strikes and the problems they have generated, the influx of people to the center of the British capital was 16.5% less today compared to last Wednesday. This is the first time in almost a century that the country has experienced a general strike.
The protesters are calling on the government to increase their wages and to not pass a law that would limit their right to strike. Kate Bell, deputy general secretary of the TUC union federation, said: “We will take all measures at our disposal to defend the right to strike. We are carefully studying how we will go about starting a legal process if this law goes ahead.”
The people of the United Kingdom are standing together to fight for their rights and demand better working conditions. This historic protest shows that the people will not back down until their demands are met.
