Is there a moral right to strike? Hundreds of thousands of workers across Britain are going on strike today, setting up an almighty clash with a government that wants to curb the right to strike.
Budget day... but nobody at work to hear it
Is there a moral right to strike? Hundreds of thousands of workers across Britain are going on strike today, setting up an almighty clash with a government that wants to curb the right to strike.
<h2 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="crosshead">Picket your battles</h2>
It is a time-honoured tradition, going back hundreds of years. Today, Chancellor of the ExchequerThe chancellor of the Exchequer, often just called the chancellor, is the UK government's chief finance minister. They are in charge of taxation and government spending and borrowing. Jeremy Hunt will lay out the government's spending plans for the next year.
But this year, he will make his statement to a country that has ground to a halt. The train stations are deserted. The schools are closed. So are many hospital wards.
Junior doctors, teachers, university staff, rail workers, and even trainee dentists are all on strikeWhen people refuse to work until their demands for changes have been met. today. They want better pay and working conditions.
Ministers say they are wrong to go on strike. They are introducing a new billA printed or written statement of the money owed for goods or services. Can also mean a draft of a suggested new law presented to lawmakers for discussion. which will force some workers to come into work on strike days and make it easier to sack striking workers.
Supporters say it is right to stop strike action. The people who are worst affected, they claim, are low-paid workers.
Today, they will have to find someone to look after their children. They will struggle to get into work because trains are disrupted.
Supporters of the strikes argue that people have the moral right to a decent standard of living, and they are entitled to go on strike to get it.
Certainly, they say, strikes disrupt services that people rely on. But those services also suffer if their workers are overworked and stressed about money.
The only way to keep these vital services running, they argue, is to ensure their workers are properly paid.
Others say this is not about right or wrong. It is a simple matter of common sense.
Many key sectors where strikes are happening have a shortage of staff. The NHSThe National Health Service, the publicly funded healthcare system in the UK. The NHS was founded in 1948. estimates that there is a shortfall of almost 40,000 nurses and more than 4,000 GPsGeneral Practitioners, a British term for doctors who work in the community to treat patients with minor illnesses and refer seriously ill people to hospital specialists. .¹
In 2019, the government promised to hire more health workers. But, critics say, it will struggle to find them if it does not pay them enough.
Yes: The right to form a union and withhold our labour is a human right. It would be utterly immoral to tell workers who are struggling to feed their families that they are not allowed to demand higher wages.
No: Striking does not just affect workers and their employers. It hurts everyone. It should not be a decision people can take lightly.
Or... This is not a moral issue. It is a negotiation between workers and the government. Neither side will get everything they want. The danger for ministers is that if workers' pay drops too low, there will be disruption even without strikes.
Chancellor of the Exchequer - The chancellor of the Exchequer, often just called the chancellor, is the UK government's chief finance minister. They are in charge of taxation and government spending and borrowing.
Strike - When people refuse to work until their demands for changes have been met.
bill - A printed or written statement of the money owed for goods or services. Can also mean a draft of a suggested new law presented to lawmakers for discussion.
NHS - The National Health Service, the publicly funded healthcare system in the UK. The NHS was founded in 1948.
GPs - General Practitioners, a British term for doctors who work in the community to treat patients with minor illnesses and refer seriously ill people to hospital specialists.
<h5 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="question"><strong>Is there a moral right to strike? </strong></h5>
Budget day… but nobody at work to hear it

Glossary
Chancellor of the Exchequer - The chancellor of the Exchequer, often just called the chancellor, is the UK government's chief finance minister. They are in charge of taxation and government spending and borrowing.
Strike - When people refuse to work until their demands for changes have been met.
bill - A printed or written statement of the money owed for goods or services. Can also mean a draft of a suggested new law presented to lawmakers for discussion.
NHS - The National Health Service, the publicly funded healthcare system in the UK. The NHS was founded in 1948.
GPs - General Practitioners, a British term for doctors who work in the community to treat patients with minor illnesses and refer seriously ill people to hospital specialists.