UK government meets unions but fails to end wave of strikes

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British government ministers have met trade union leaders but have fallen short of ending a wave of strikes that has hobbled the U.K.’s rail network and overburdened health system. Health Secretary Steve Barclay held talks Monday with health care unions. Other ministers met with railway unions who have staged months of strikes, and teaching unions that are considering classroom walkouts. Some union leaders said the meetings were constructive but strikes by nurses and ambulance staff planned for this month would go ahead. Britain is going through its biggest strike wave for decades, with airport baggage handlers, border staff, driving instructors, bus drivers and postal workers among those who have walked off their jobs to demand higher pay.