Good morning. Hope you had a great bank holiday. I spent quite a lot of mine locked in a titanic battle of wills with a squirrel that somehow barricaded itself under my oven. If you’d like more detail and a gif of the astonishing denouement in tomorrow’s newsletter, hit reply and let me know that you’ve recommended First Edition to a friend. How’s that for viral marketing?
The other titanic battle of wills under way yesterday was, of course, the one between striking nurses in England and a significantly less adorable antagonist, health secretary Steve Barclay. The strike was the largest industrial action by nurses so far, and comes ahead of a meeting to discuss the government’s 5% pay offer happening today – but while that will get a majority of support among NHS unions, a period of public sector pay disputes is still far from over. The RCN yesterday reiterated that nurses will be re-balloted this month for action that could continue until Christmas – and even as the NHS talks take place today, teachers will be going out on their fifth strike day of the year.
There have been so many stories about industrial action recently that it can be hard to keep on top of the latest – so today’s newsletter runs you through the most important recent developments, sector by sector. Sorry about all the acronyms, and here are the headlines.
Five big stories
UK news | The Home Office is planning to use 10 redundant cruise ships, ferries and barges to house asylum seekers in ports around the country, with Liverpool expected to be next in line. The Guardian has been told that one leading maritime company is even conducting a feasibility study into housing migrants on redundant oil rigs, previously rejected over logistical and safety issues.
Sudan | Sudanese medics have described seeing piles of bodies in the streets of the capital, Khartoum, people drinking polluted water, and doctors working under bombardment as the fighting continues despite a threadbare ceasefire. The news came as an additional UK evacuation flight left Port Sudan on Monday evening, bringing the total airlifted out to over 2,100.
AI | The man often touted as the godfather of AI has quit Google with a warning about the pace of the technology’s development and saying that a part of him now regrets his life’s work. Dr Geoffrey Hinton said that the risks of AI were “quite scary” and added: “Right now, they’re not more intelligent than us, as far as I can tell. But I think they soon may be.”
France | Police fired teargas and clashed with demonstrators in Paris and other cities on Monday after trade unions transformed traditional Labour Day marches into demonstrations against the rise in the retirement age. At least 108 police were wounded and 291 people detained as violence erupted in several cities.
Met Gala | Serena Williams confirmed she is pregnant with her second child at the Met Gala in New York. Other guests at the Karl Lagerfeld-themed event included Rihanna, Pedro Pascal, and Doja Cat, who came dressed as Karl Lagerfeld’s actual cat, as did Jared Leto. The pick of the red carpet photos are here.
In depth: ‘It’s been the togetherness, the solidarity that’s got them the progress they have achieved’
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NHS
Ministers might have thought the NHS strikes in England were over when unions including Unison, the GMB and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) recommended that their members accept a new offer of a 5% rise in March – but in fact, while Unison and GMB members did vote to take the deal, which covers all NHS staff other than doctors and dentists, RCN members rejected it. (Health unions in Wales and Northern Ireland are still in talks with their respective governments, while NHS workers in Scotland accepted an increase of 13-14% over two years in March.)
The latest strike by the RCN, which ran from 8pm on Sunday to midnight last night and coincided with industrial action by Unite members, was the first time that areas like intensive care and chemotherapy had been hit. While the RCN agreed exemptions in cases where hospitals were struggling to ensure life-preserving care, the strikes were nonetheless much more disruptive than previous rounds. Because the GMB and Unison represent significantly more NHS workers, the RCN is looking increasingly isolated in the dispute.
Steve Barclay said that the strike was “premature” and “disrespectful to the other trade unions”, and argued that any such action should have waited until after a meeting of the NHS staff council on Tuesday, which is likely to vote to accept the 5% offer. (If so, RCN members will get the rise despite rejecting it – but could vote for fresh strike action to seek a greater increase.) Pat Cullen (above) of the RCN had a fairly crisp response for Barclay yesterday, saying: “What our members are saying to the secretary of state of this government is we are not going to go away.”
In contrast to Barclay, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, said that “given that most staff have voted in favour of this deal, it is time to accept it”, but also noted: “It’s been the togetherness, the solidarity of the trade unions that’s got them the progress they have achieved, otherwise they would have had a much smaller settlement.”
Even if that dispute is resolved, there is still the matter of junior doctors, who continue to ask for a 35% rise to compensate for years of stalled pay. (This FT chart shows how steeply nurses and doctors’ pay has declined in recent years compared to the average British worker). A Whitehall source told the i newspaper last week (£) that “the mood music is definitely changing” and that a deal could be struck this week.
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Teachers
Members of the National Education Union in England are striking today, while most schools in Northern Ireland closed last Wednesday when five unions went on strike. (In Scotland, the dispute ended in March with a 7% backdated offer and 7% more to come; in Wales, NEU teachers – the largest group – accepted an 8% offer for 2022-23 and a 5% increase next year.)
Today’s action in England is likely to mean the closure of many schools, but parents may not know until the last minute whether their children will be affected: teachers do not have to say whether they will be striking, and the decision is ultimately at the discretion of headteachers, who can use agency staff or volunteers as cover if they choose to do so.
According to the IFS, teachers’ salaries fell in real terms by an average of 11% between 2010 and 2022. The NEU has called for a 12% rise, while the school leaders’ union the NAHT has called for 15%. Most teachers got a 5% rise in 2022, and the government offered a £1,000 one-off payment plus a 4.5% rise this September – but all four unions involved in the dispute rejected it by big margins.
Now the government has rescinded that offer and says it will follow a pay review body recommendation for an offer next year. Education secretary Gillian Keegan last week rejected a plea to enter negotiations before the strikes took place. The NEU has called Keegan “the biggest obstacle” to resolution.
The NEU is the only union which currently has a mandate to strike in England. If no deal is reached, they and the three other unions – the NAHT, the NASUWT and ASCL – will all ballot again ahead of the autumn term, with the prospect of coordinated strikes as a result. The NEU’s joint general secretary Kevin Courtney estimated that anywhere between 300,000 and 400,000 teachers could be involved.
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Civil servants
On Friday, more than 130,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) went on strike across 132 government departments; meanwhile, PCS workers are continuing to strike this week at the Passport Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Care Quality Commission. And there are 18 days of strike action planned at HMRC across May and early June, starting on 10 May.
The PCS, the biggest union in the sector, is calling for a 10% pay rise for 2022-23. Most civil servants received a 2-3% increase last year, while the Cabinet Office and Treasury have offered an average of 4.5% for next year.
The senior civil servants union, the FDA, has also balloted its members on strike action – they have been given a similar offer to more junior workers. They last went on strike in 2011. While talks took place last month, there is anger that the offer – less generous than that put forward to NHS staff – was presented as non-negotiable.
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Rail workers
One bright spot for the government came in March, when 76% of members of the RMT union accepted an offer from Network Rail of a 9% pay increase over two years. The smaller TSSA union also accepted an offer from the Rail Delivery Group in February. But that left disputes ongoing, including those involving RMT staff who work for 14 train operators and 12,000 drivers who are members of the Aslef union.
Aslef drivers are walking out on 12 and 31 May, as well as 3 June, the day of the FA Cup final – while RMT members will strike on 13 May, the date of the Eurovision song contest. The strikes will primarily affect England, as well as some cross-border services that also run in Scotland and Wales.
The new strikes, announced last week, dashed hopes that the dispute might be reaching a conclusion, transport correspondent Gwyn Topham wrote: “Aslef’s move to three days of strikes and a week-long overtime ban is the union’s toughest single action yet, underlining the anger felt by drivers at a lowball offer with strings attached”. Meanwhile, the RMT accused the train operators’ representative in talks, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), of reneging on agreed proposals; the RDG claimed to be mystified by that assertion. Transport secretary Mark Harper’s claim that the RMT had “cynically” targeted Eurovision was then viewed as a rhetorical escalation.
Strike-weariness among some members has encouraged ministers to think they can see off the rail unions, Gwyn wrote. “Few have any interest in spinning this out,” he added – “bar perhaps a government that is bearing down on wider pay claims and wanting to show it can face down the unions.”
What else we’ve been reading
In this week’s edition of the Big Idea, Emma Smith asks whether censoring books actually makes them more popular. Nimo
There’s been much talk of a civil service “blob” thwarting the honourable intentions of the Conservative government. Here, an anonymous civil servant has their say: “‘Activist’ civil servants? The truth is, we’re not that organised.” Toby Moses, head of newsletters
A Brooklyn exhibition delves into the NYPD’s gargantuan budget and how the staggering levels of waste affect the city’s other services. “We wanted to focus on the dreams that are deferred when we’re spending $29m on police every day,” Johanna Miller, director of the NYCLU’s education policy centre, said to Charles Bramesco. Nimo
If there are any spelling mistakes in today’s newsletter, I can only blame the pollen which is forcing me to edit through streaming eyes. Luckily, Lizzie Cernik is on hand with some tips to deal with hay fever and spring’s pollen bomb. Toby
Despite chicken being the UK’s most popular meat, poultry farmers are being forced to reduce flocks or pack up shop entirely. Joanna Partridge looks at what’s been happening in this staple industry. Nimo
Sport
Women’s Champions League | Arsenal’s dream of European glory was ended by a 3-2 defeat in extra time of their semi-final second leg against Wolfsburg. Pauline Bremer (above) scored the decisive goal after an injury-hit Arsenal failed to capitalise on their dominance during the first half. Manager Jonas Eidevall said his side is “allowed to hurt tonight and feel empty, but we are also allowed to feel proud of the performance and the occasion.”
Premier league | A fine goalkeeping performance from Leicester’s Daniel Iversen – and a penalty save from Everton’s Jordan Pickford - were central to a frenetic 2-2 draw between the relegation contenders. After Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring with a penalty, goals from Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy helped Leicester to a 2-1 lead, only for Alex Iwobi to equalise.
Snooker | The Belgian Luca Brecel became snooker’s first world champion from mainland Europe, holding off a late fightback from four-time champion Mark Selby to win 18-15 in the final. “I was so nervous because I wanted it to happen for Europe and for Belgium,” Brecel said. “I can’t wait to see what happens now.”
The front pages
“Home Office to acquire fleet of ships to house asylum seekers” is the Guardian’s top story this Tuesday morning. The i leads with “This can’t go on: NHS leaders in despair as strike stalemate hits care backlog,” while on the same subject the Daily Express has “Ignoring plea for ‘life and limb care … just not on!”. The Daily Telegraph has “Sue Gray in partygate team when Starmer talks began,” while the Times focuses on cabinet secretary Simon Case with “Call for top civil servant to go amid ‘worst crisis’.”
The Daily Mail is counting down to the coronation with “Britain’s rock solid support for royals” as is the Metro with a “Crown the hatch” look at how much beer will be drunk, and the Mirror: “Showbiz royalty: TV’s Ant and Dec top list of stars to attend King’s Coronation”. The Financial Times is leading on “JP Morgan snaps up First Republic’s deposits after US regulators step in” and the Sun splashes with a poll which reveals that “Brits say no to woke”.
Today in Focus
Cost of the crown part 2: duchies, diamonds and Dalís
Any attempt to understand the extent of royal wealth will need to account for the value of their land and their most valuable treasures. Maeve McClenaghan sets off to uncover what is held by the crown and what belongs to the family privately
Cartoon of the day | Daniel Christie
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
The U’wa Indigenous community from north-eastern Colombia finally got their chance to make their formal declarations against the Colombian state. The battle has been centuries in the making, as the U’wa claim that the government has repeatedly failed to recognise their ancestral lands and polluted their territory with oil. The community consider themselves to be the guardians of Mother Earth and have successfully fought against oil projects from huge transnational corporations.
The court case has the potential to have extensive impacts for Indigenous people across the continent because the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has binding jurisdiction in most Latin American countries – a ruling would help protect many Indigenous communities and their land.
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
