York MP blames government 'incompetence' for 'winter of discontent'

She has urged ministers to 'negotiate a pay strategy with the unions' - and to ensure the country's wealthiest people, including Non Doms and 'oil and gas tycoons', pay their share.

The call comes as the country faces the prospect of strikes among health staff, ambulance workers, rail workers, Royal Mail workers, civil servants and firefighters, amongst others.

As The Press reported recently, rail passengers in York will be affected by a series of strikes called by the RMT union in December and January.

York Hospital has NOT been chosen as one of the sites that will be affected by a nurses strike.

But paramedics and other ambulance service staff working for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service ARE among those who are likely to strike before Christmas, following a UNISON ballot.

Andrew Lowson of the York Business Improvement District (BID) said that strike action was already beginning to hit sectors of the city's economy.

But he said he hoped the impact would be for a 'limited period' only.

He told The Press: "Each striking group will affect businesses in different ways.

"For example, I understand the recent train strikes led to more cars being used to visit the city’s festive offer, which in turn had a huge impact on the road infrastructure."

Mr Lowson said his main concern was the impact of strike action on business confidence, which he said was 'key to getting out of recession'. 

"Only with confidence will businesses invest in people and growth, so we must be careful not to talk down the economy," he said.

"Multiple strikes will probably effect consumer confidence and therefore spend, but I am hopeful that this will be for a limited period and if we can be resilient during January to April, the spring will provide a better outlook."

One correspondent to The Press letters page, Peter Rickaby, described strikers as 'selfish'.

"The country, since Covid, has had to borrow tens of billions of pounds for us all to retain a reasonable standard of living, due to a totally unexpected expense, the fault of no political incompetence," he said.

"What is to be achieved by threatening strike action, even going on strike? It only displays a selfish attitude towards fellow workers."

But Labour MP Ms Maskell stressed the financial problems faced by the country were down to the 'economic incopmetence' of the Government.

“The reason why inflation is so high is due to the economic incompetence of this Government over 12 years, heightened by the disastrous budget in September," she said.

"They should not expect working people to now pay a heavy price for this.

“Since wages are going to have to increase, Government should negotiate a pay strategy with the unions, while also revisiting their failed and inequitable tax policies, which let off the very richest -the Non Doms who choose to evade and avoid paying their fair share; and the oil and gas tycoons who’ve made record profits in recent months.

"It is time the Government got a grip of the high levels of inequality, the growing gap between the richest few and the rest of us; and pivot the economy to be distributive and just, thus controlling inflation while injecting fairness and equality into the economy.”

The Press approached local Conservative MPs Julian Sturdy and Kevin Hollinrake for comment.