Advertisement

'The strikers and unions are killing their prospects for a raise'

Thousands of demonstrators wave banners as they stand near Downing Street in Westminster in London - Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Thousands of demonstrators wave banners as they stand near Downing Street in Westminster in London - Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Public sector strikes caused disruption this week, with teachers and transport workers the most notable to join the picket lines over pay and conditions.

Hundreds of thousands of workers walked out on Wednesday, making it the biggest day of strikes in more than a decade.

Elsewhere, a grim prediction for the UK economy, outrage over a university removing Christian term names and athletes weighing in on the trans debate were the biggest talking points among Telegraph readers.

Read on to see how our readers contributed to the conversation in the comments section, Letters pages and the Front Page newsletter.

Strikes

Over 100,000 members of the National Education Union walked out on Wednesday, causing 85 per cent of schools in England and Wales to close to some or all year groups. Meanwhile, rail strikes on Wednesday and Friday also caused national disruption for commuters and the public.

Citing the strikes of the 1970s, Simon Heffer joined Telegraph readers in discussing how strikes of the past compare to those of today - ultimately concluding that 21st century innovations have made modern strikes less effective. Other readers were split on whether or not to support striking workers.

UK economy fears

The IMF (International Monetary Fund) warned this week that the UK is on course to be the only major economy to shrink this year, after downgrading its 2023 UK growth forecast by more than any other G7 nation. The prospect is blamed on "tighter fiscal and monetary policies", which are owing to Jeremy Hunt’s tax raid and higher borrowing costs.

Telegraph readers were not surprised by the updated projection, as they condemned the idea of increased taxation. Other readers discussed the economic plan proposed by Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng, leading them to question what position the country would be in economically if their plan had been implemented.

University scraps traditional Christian term names

The London School of Economics was accused of "virtue-signalling nonsense" after it scrapped its traditional Christian term names in an effort to be more "international". The university's Michaelmas term has been renamed "autumn term", while Christmas break is now "winter break", and Easter break is now known as "spring term".

Responding to the news, Michael Deacon, Celia Walden and Conservative MPs joined readers in criticising the decision - believing it to be anti-Christian and an insult to Britain's culture. Many of our readers doubt that other religions would be as willing to change their traditions to cater to a wider audience.

Athletes fight back on trans debate

The World Athletics' proposal to allow transgender athletes to continue to compete in the women’s category has encouraged current athletes to voice their concerns surrounding fairness. Reigning Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres champion, Eilish McColgan, joined fellow athletes in speaking out after saying it is "too much" for transgender athletes to compete, even if they have only retained a one per cent advantage.

Many of our readers criticised the governing body for its stance on the issue, as they believe that should the proposal pass, it would be of great detriment to women’s sport. While other readers went one step further and questioned whether it would affect the perception of young children who may want to become athletes.


What are your thoughts on the most talked about topics of the week? Join the conversation in the comments section below