Hundreds of thousands of teachers, civil servants, railway workers and border control workers are expected to participate in the widespread strikes scheduled for Wednesday in the UK. The unions estimate that the mobilizations may concern up to 500 thousand people: they are part of a broader and transversal wave of strikes which has been going on since the end of last year against cuts to public services and for the adjustment of salaries to the cost of living. In the last two months, among others, thousands of nurses, physiotherapists, postmen, public transport drivers, ambulance personnel and always teachers have protested.
Thousands of schools will be closed or partially operational in both England and Wales, where up to 200,000 teachers belonging to the main national sector union (NEU) are expected to go on strike. There will also be schools closed and teachers on strike in Scotland, where the demonstrations have been called by the largest local trade union (EIS). In addition, more than 100,000 people could go on strike, including university professors and civil servants from dozens of government departments and bodies, including the Ministries of Health, Transport and Education.
Throughout the day there will be cancellations and major disruptions in the circulation of trains due to the participation in the strike by the drivers of 14 railway companies. Inconvenience is also expected at airports, with queues at document checks due to a strike by border staff. Aslef, the national rail transport union, has announced another 24-hour strike also for Friday 3 February.
