• Ten industries are on strike this week.
• The government is holding emergency COBRA meetings to limit disruption.
• A formal request to the Ministry of Defense was not far off.

Ten industries are on strike this week, and the government is holding emergency COBRA meetings to limit disruption.

Over the weekend, government sources suggested a formal request to the Ministry of Defense was “not far off.”

Cabinet Office confirms military soldiers are being dispatched to NHS hospital trusts around the UK to “familiarize themselves with vehicles” ahead of the 21 and 28 December ambulance strikes.

Ministers will hold two emergency COBRA meetings this week to limit disruption from daily industrial action until the end of the year.

Oliver Dowden will host a Cabinet Office meeting on Monday to “defend the public” against strikes.

Rail, NHS, Eurostar, buses, National Highways, baggage handlers, Royal Mail, nurses, driving examiners, and public officials will strike starting Monday.

The Cabinet Office said the government’s goal is to safeguard “those who may need access to emergency services help and reduce disruption as far as practicable”

Wednesday is another COBRA meeting.

Transport, Health and Social Care, Home Office, and Defense ministries will attend.

Since unions planned December strikes last month, the Cabinet Office has been working to prevent disruption.

Mr. Dowden remarked, “We lament the unions’ stance since it would disturb millions of people’s lives at a crucial moment for them and their families.”

We encourage union leaders to end the strikes and keep communicating.

Each government department should plan for the interruption and implement contingency measures to limit it in the coming weeks.

Sky News reported Friday that military officers have begun training to check passports at Heathrow and Gatwick airports as Border Control staff prepare to strike over Christmas.

600 military and 700 civil servants are being trained to assist services in the event of a strike.

Northern Ireland Unison members will start this week’s strikes.

Royal College of Nursing members in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will strike on Thursday and 20 December.

Union bosses said the strikes could be called off if the government resolves salary and conditions disputes.

James Cleverly said unions should deal with independent pay review committees, not ministers.

Mick Lynch requested a meeting with Rishi Sunak.

“The government has played its role by facilitating a fair and decent offer, and the RMT and its members should vote this deal through,” said the prime minister’s spokesman.

Unison claimed the government can stop the strikes by presenting a “decent pay proposal.”

Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, said ministers should focus on settling disputes.

“The Scottish government discovered that talking to unions about salaries worked wonders. Westminster ministers should follow suit. Stop talking tough, put a wage plan on the table, and involve the unions.”

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