Britain on Wednesday faced what has been dubbed the biggest industrial action in a decade as teachers, university lecturers, train and bus drivers and public sector workers went on a strike to demand better pay conditions.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesperson admitted that the mass strike action will prove “very difficult” for the public.
Teachers in England and Wales who are members of the National Education Union (NEU) are staging walkouts, affecting an estimated 23,000 schools.
Estimates suggest around 85 per cent of schools in the regions will be fully or partially closed, impacting working parents over childcare.
UK Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has insisted that “inflation-busting” pay rises are impossible even as talks remain ongoing.
“I am disappointed that it has come to this, that the unions have made this decision. It is not a last resort. We are still in discussions,” the minister said.