The UK records the highest number of days lost to strike action in more than a decade

Wages are growing at the fastest rate outside of a pandemic, but they are still well below inflation

Madrid, December 13 (European press) –

The number of working days lost due to labor disputes in the UK totaled 417,000 last October, the highest number since November 2011, as reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The UK has been affected by protests by workers across sectors to demand higher wages in response to the rising cost of living, and these protests are expected to affect activity again in December, with strikes in sectors ranging from the postal service to health.

Speaking to the BBC, Sam Beckett, head of economic statistics at the Office for National Statistics, explained that the sectors hardest hit by the strikes were transport and warehousing, as well as information and communications, “largely driven by the rail and postal strikes”.

Similarly, data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that salaries, including bonuses, increased in the August-October quarter at a record average rate of 6.1% compared to the same period last year, the largest increase in the entire historical series in a pandemic situation. period excluded.

Regular salary growth for the private sector averaged 6.9% in the quarter and 2.7% for public sector workers, the largest increase for the private sector in the entire chain outside the pandemic, demonstrating one of the largest growth gaps recorded with respect to the public sector.

However, despite the record increase in nominal figures, in real terms, that is, adjusted for inflation, both gross and regular wage fell by 2.7%; This is just under the record 3% drop in real ordinary wages between April and June 2022, although it is still one of the largest declines since similar records began in 2001.

On the other hand, the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom increased between August and October by a tenth compared to the previous three months, reaching 3.7%, while the level of employment in the country reached 75.6% from 75.4%, and is still below the pre-pandemic level.

However, as of November, the number of workers is estimated to have increased by 107,000 people, to a record 29.9 million.