Armed Forces will miss Christmas to cover striking workers

Members of the Armed Forces will miss Christmas this year to deal with the fallout from the strikes, Rishi Sunak has said.

Thousands of soldiers have been preparing to cover for ambulance crews, border staff and other public sector workers taking industrial action over the advent period.

This has prompted an angry backlash from the Army, with senior military figures complaining to ministers that soldiers should not be made to give up Christmas to cover for striking NHS workers who earn more than them.

During a visit to an RAF base in Lincolnshire on Friday, the Prime Minister said the nation should be grateful to Army personnel for easing some of the strain.

“Many of them are going to miss Christmas to help us deal with the disruption from strikes, whether that’s manning border posts or driving ambulances, and we all owe them an enormous debt of gratitude,” Mr Sunak said.

The Government is set to rely on hundreds of Armed Forces personnel to stand in for Border Force officers at airports during eight days of strikes this December, as well as ambulance drivers when they walk out on Dec 24, and potentially to cover for firefighters if they take industrial action as well.

But the military believes it is “not right” for soldiers, who are banned by law from striking themselves, to replace striking public sector workers over the festive season, according to senior members of the Armed Forces.

Military figures also warned ministers that the plan risks weakening the “operational capability” of the military to respond to threats.

Mr Sunak’s remarks will be seen as an attempt to defuse a row between ministers and the military that threatens to derail plans to keep the emergency services running over Christmas.

Police refuse to drive ambulances

On Friday it emerged that police chiefs refused a request from the ambulance service for support during the strikes, amid rising anger over pay.

Ambulance bosses are understood to have approached forces about using officers to drive vehicles during the forthcoming industrial action.

But police chiefs have rejected the request, insisting they do not have the resources available to step in and help the NHS.

On Friday, Royal Mail workers began their walkout, which will continue on Sunday as well as on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

It is the latest strike in an increasingly bitter dispute over “unachievable” conditions they said would “destroy” the company.

Members of the Communication Workers Union from across the UK congregated outside Parliament on Friday to voice their anger about the proposed changes they believe would turn them into “gig” economy workers.

Meanwhile, the leader of the biggest rail workers union has called for an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister in a bid to help resolve the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are due to stage two 48-hour strikes next week following months of industrial action over the deadlocked row.

Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary, has written to Mr Sunak saying a meeting between the two men was now the best prospect of making any progress given Downing Street is “directing the mandate for the rail companies and has torpedoed the talks”.

On Friday, Mr Sunak said he is not ruling out extending “tough” new anti-strike laws to prevent walkouts by emergency service workers such as nurses.

The Prime Minister said “we’re looking at all options” when asked about the scope of the legislation to limit the impact of strikes, but declined to give details.

He also appeared to rule out meeting union demands for pay rises for public sector workers in order to head off strikes before the end of the year.

Long-delayed legislation to ensure minimum service levels on the transport network during industrial action could be widened to other public services including emergency services.

Mr Sunak’s main priority was to “protect lives and minimise the disruption” of the growing wave of industrial action sweeping the country, he said.