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UK trade unions meet with ministers in government bid to end strikes

With the UK’s inflation rate hitting double digits and sitting around 40-year highs, many sectors including rail workers, ambulance staff and nurses have staged industrial action, demanding a “decent” pay rise.
Despite negotiations, no solutions have been reached so far. Teachers and unionized doctors are also expected to take part in a walkout in the coming days due to below-inflation pay offers.
On Monday, which marked the first day in almost a month that the railways have not been disrupted by strikes, Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) general secretary Mick Lynch said ministers should “stop play-acting” and end the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions on the railway.
Prior to his meeting with Rail Minister Huw Merriman, Lynch said: “Today I want to see the government stop play-acting because the truth, written in black and white in their rail contracts, is that they’ve been in complete control of this dispute from day one. The minister cannot hide behind this fairy story that he is just a facilitator. His government can end this dispute today by taking out the conditions they put in to torpedo a resolution and let the companies make a deal.”

The government is expected to announce legislation to enforce “minimum service levels” in six sectors including rail, education and health services in the coming days.
The laws will require a proportion of union members to continue working to retain a "minimum level" of service. Strikes could be deemed illegal if unions refused to provide the minimum level.
UK to enter Christmas, New Year amid fresh strikes
According to Network Rail, which develops and operates Britain’s railway infrastructure, the industry has lost more than £400 million ($487 million) in revenue due to a total of 21 days of strikes since last summer.
Health secretary accused of ‘insulting’ health workers
Unite, one of the unions involved in talks with Health Secretary Steve Barclay, has described what was put on the table as an “insult” to members.
Barclay has reportedly suggested that the health workers could get a one-off extra payment which would need to be evaluated according to their productivity. After the meeting, Unite negotiator Onay Kasab blasted the approach as an "insult" and said he was "angry," adding: “The government have missed yet another opportunity to put this right.”
Speaking to the press after the meeting, Onay said: “All the government are interested in is saying that in order to justify a payment, we need to come up with productivity savings in the National Health Service (NHS). Our members are working 18-hour shifts. How you become more productive with that I do not know.”
Britain braces for winter of strike action as nurses walk out
He said he was “extremely angry” while describing the meeting he had with the minister and his proposal.
“That is absolutely ludicrous. This isn’t a factory we’re talking about. We are talking about people who are working well beyond their contracted hours anyway just to get the job done, because they can’t hand patients over because they care so much,” he said.
Government hopeful of finding solution
During a visit to a health center Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the talks with unions were a "positive development."
"We've always said that the government is happy to talk about pay demands and pay issues that are anchored in what's reasonable, what's responsible, what's affordable for the country," Sunak told the media.
Unions have said they will only call off strikes in the next few weeks if offers are made to resolve the disputes over this year's pay settlement, while the government wants to negotiate pay rises for next year.
When asked about the one-off extra payment that the health secretary proposed to unions, Sunak declined to comment.
Source: aa
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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