Strikes on the horizon? and foul play at Man City!

Good to see you, Brian.

Hi, Paul.

How are you?

Um, so threats of chaos, dark days, winters of discontent, all those words are beginning to, all those cliches indeed, are beginning to be kicked around again.

Where do we stand today? How are things looking?

I suppose today is a good kicking-off point if you are to look at that winter of discontent because today is the day that work to rules begin.

And just to remind listeners what is a work to rule, this is where you say, "I will only do exactly what's in my contract within my hours.

I won't do additional roles.

I won't do someone else's job.

If someone called in sick, I'm not doing their job.

I'm just doing my bit.

I will work my roster, I will work my shift, and no more." And it is a very common and often used form of industrial action.

That's kicking underway today for more than 100,000 workers across the public sector.

We're talking nurses, civil servants, local authority workers, special needs assistants, and sort of admin staff in health and education.

That's today.

Next week, we're gonna see it ramp up further.

The teachers will start taking their work to rules.

That's already having disruption this week because a lot of parents this week have been receiving emails from their schools saying that next week, when this action comes in, things are gonna have to change.

You won't be able to drop off the children at the earlier time that you might have dropped them off.

Extracurricular activities might be disrupted, because remember, it's a work to rule, so people will only work within their allotted time.

They will not do any additional activities.

And is there a threat that things could get worse if it isn't sorted? 'Cause if you mention teachers and teachers taking action, parents are immediately, alarm bells start ringing because their whole life is gonna be convulsed by it.

Absolutely, and the threat is already there.

The dates are already there.

So, what the unions have said is that this is work to rule for now, but it will be ramped up to an all-out strike, a full strike across the public sector, including schools, including hospitals, on the 14th of October, and then another one a week after it on the 21st of October.

Good to see you, Brian.

Hi, Paul.

How are you?

Um, so threats of chaos, dark days, winters of discontent, all those words are beginning to, all those cliches indeed, are beginning to be kicked around again.

Where do we stand today? How are things looking?

I suppose today is a good kicking-off point if you are to look at that winter of discontent because today is the day that work to rules begin.

And just to remind listeners what is a work to rule, this is where you say, "I will only do exactly what's in my contract within my hours.

I won't do additional roles.

I won't do someone else's job.

If someone called in sick, I'm not doing their job.

I'm just doing my bit.

I will work my roster, I will work my shift, and no more." And it is a very common and often used form of industrial action.

That's kicking underway today for more than 100,000 workers across the public sector.

We're talking nurses, civil servants, local authority workers, special needs assistants, and sort of admin staff in health and education.

That's today.

Next week, we're gonna see it ramp up further.

The teachers will start taking their work to rules.

That's already having disruption this week because a lot of parents this week have been receiving emails from their schools saying that next week, when this action comes in, things are gonna have to change.

You won't be able to drop off the children at the earlier time that you might have dropped them off.

Extracurricular activities might be disrupted, because remember, it's a work to rule, so people will only work within their allotted time.

They will not do any additional activities.

And is there a threat that things could get worse if it isn't sorted? 'Cause if you mention teachers and teachers taking action, parents are immediately, alarm bells start ringing because their whole life is gonna be convulsed by it.

Absolutely, and the threat is already there.

The dates are already there.

So, what the unions have said is that this is work to rule for now, but it will be ramped up to an all-out strike, a full strike across the public sector, including schools, including hospitals, on the 14th of October, and then another one a week after it on the 21st of October.