Head of UK Trades Union Congress Warns Sunak of Paying 'Political Price' at 2024 Elections

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - British voters will make the Conservative party "pay the political price" during the next general election if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refuses to negotiate increased wages amid protests and strikes taking place throughout the country, the head of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Paul Nowak, told British media.

"I think the government will pay the political price because I think the British public are pretty clear where the blame lies," he reportedly said.

Nowak added that strikes will become a significant issue during 2024 elections and suggested the government begin talking with trade unions as soon as possible.

"There is something the government could do to stop strikes carrying on into the spring and summer of 2023 and beyond. And that's to sit down and negotiate. Whether we see prolonged industrial action is down to the government," Nowak told a British newspaper.

The union leader also urged the UK authorities to take steps to stop the drop in living standards as workers face shrinking wages for the second decade in a row. Nowak warned Sunak against adopting anti-strike laws in 2023, as suggested by the government earlier in the month.

TUC research cited by the newspaper shows that real wages of UK workers have shrunk by 20,000 pounds ($24,000) on average since the financial crisis of 2008. The loss will reach 24,000 pounds by 2025, the estimates show.

The UK has been seeing large scale strikes due to record inflation with railway workers, lawyers, nurses, airport employees, post workers, university staff and workers from other industries participating in the action.

Inflation began to grow worldwide in mid-2021 and the situation got worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis. The sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries over its special military operation in Ukraine have contributed to increased energy and food prices in Europe as well.