Many across the music and entertainment world are sharing their support today (December 15) as thousands of workers across the UK go on strike.
Thursday sees members of The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) go on strike for the first time in the organisation’s 106-year history with demands for better pay. A second strike is due on December 20.
It follows a year of consistent strikes on the UK’s railway network, while Royal Mail staff have been undertaking a number of strikes recently around the traditionally busy Christmas period.
With today’s strikes the most high-profile in the UK in years, many in the entertainment world have taken to social media to share their support for the workers striking.
Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd tweeted: “The actual message of these strikes is that after 12 years this government cannot afford to pay its’ workers sufficiently so that they can afford to heat their homes and eat. Everything else is just background noise. We need a competent government that can pay real living wages.”
He later added: “Seeing as this tweet is getting some traction, let me add this: The concept that ANY public sector worker should be paid so little we have to top their income up with Universal Credit is so poorly managed as to make anyone who is in charge of such a situation a laughing stock.”
Seeing as this tweet is getting some traction, let me add this:
The concept that ANY public sector worker should be paid so little we have to top their income up with Universal Credit is so poorly managed as to make anyone who is in charge of such a situation a laughing stock.— Mark Davyd (@markdavyd) December 15, 2022
The BBC’s Gary Lineker added: “Nurses are incredible people. Theyāve cared for us in our moments of need. Hereās hoping we care for them in their moment of need.”
Nurses are incredible people. Theyāve cared for us in our moments of need. Hereās hoping we care for them in their moment of need.
— Gary Lineker
(@GaryLineker) December 15, 2022
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, laid out what kind of pay rise could drastically improve nurses’ lives, and that could be paid for with a miniscule increase in wealth tax.
A one-off 1% wealth tax on households with more than Ā£1 million could fund the nursesā demand for a fair pay rise 162 times over.
Donāt ever let anyone tell you we canāt afford to pay workers what they need and deserve.
Solidarity with members from @theRCN on strike today. pic.twitter.com/t2uUmdZBsB
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 15, 2022
See a range of messages below.
Solidarity with all striking workers
— stuart braithwaite (@plasmatron) December 15, 2022
Nurses, always
#NursesStrike
— Sue Perkins
Solidarity with all striking Nurses today, and all strikers everywhere.
The workers, united, will never be defeated!
— Los Campesinos! (@LosCampesinos) December 15, 2022
Gorgeous day for a nursesā strike outside Great Ormond St Hospital. So grateful for their unmatched care & skill. Now letās get them the fucking pay rise they deserve & that the nation can *easily* afford. Austerity is a choice so change your mind or get in the bin!
@theRCN pic.twitter.com/LHCotX0soN
— rob delaney (@robdelaney) December 15, 2022
Just pay the fucking nurses. And make the obscenely rich people pay for the raise. Thank you. Tremble at my economic genius. Now make me your leader. #NursesStrike
— SiobhĆ”n McSweeney (@siobhni) December 15, 2022
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