UK airport staff plan Christmas walkout, joining strike wave

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservative government says it could take “tough” action to curb strikes. Its warning came as airport passport officers became the latest public sector workers to announce December walkouts. The Public and Commercial Services union said its members at Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff airports will strike for eight days between Dec. 23 and Dec. 31. Labor unrest has spread in Britain as staff seek pay raises to keep up with inflation that has hit 11.1%. Railway staff, postal workers, nurses and ambulance crews all have strikes planned for this month. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Wednesday that unions were being unreasonable and he was considering more “tough new laws.”