"Not only are staff struggling but students feel the effects when universities are short-staffed," said UNISON head of education Mike Short.

British employers expect to raise wages for their staff by the most in at least 11 years but the 5% pay deals for workers would still fall well below expected inflation, a survey published on Monday showed.

Britain's economy showed zero growth in the final three months of 2022 - enough for it to avoid entering a recession for now - but faces tough prospects in 2023 as households continue to wrestle with double-digit inflation.

BP on Tuesday also said its carbon emissions would not fall as quickly as anticipated.

Had Truss made a serious attempt to tackle spending and debt, she might still be in Downing Street.

The Bank of England has signalled the tide is turning in its battle against high inflation after a series of interest rate hikes - but it has also said it is too soon declare victory.

Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance service staff walked off the job on Monday in a pay dispute, putting further strain on Britain's state-run National Health Service with their largest ever strike.

The Bank of England on Thursday hiked its interest rate for a tenth time in a row as global authorities race to combat sky-high inflation.

Both the Conservatives and Labour have spent decades racking up debt for the next generation to somehow pay off.

French railway worker Franck Viger-Brunet says he and his comrades have to count carefully the costs of going on strike to force President Emmanuel Macron to back down on plans to hike the retirement age by two years to 64.

Half a million workers went on strike in Britain on Wednesday, calling for higher wages in the largest such walkout in over a decade, closing schools and severely disrupting transport.

This risk of criminals taking advantage of the relaxed regulation in freeports has been highlighted by several studies.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sacked Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi on Sunday after an investigation found he committed a serious breach by not being open about a tax probe, the latest scandal to hit one of Sunak's top ministers.

The National Education Union declared seven days of walkouts in February and March after nine out of 10 union teacher members voted for strike action.

Since at least the early 1980s, household debt-to-income ratios have been increasing dramatically.

Since industrial action first started to gather speed last year, concerns have been raised about a wage-price spiral causing entrenched inflation.

The Bank of England must decide next week how much higher it will raise borrowing costs as it tries to bear down on Britain's double-digit inflation rate without adding too much stress to an economy already close to recession.

The main nursing union accuses the government of failing to negotiate seriously on improving their pay deal for the current year.

British inflation eased last month after hitting a 41-year high in October, offering some comfort to the Bank of England, but the pressure on households remained intense as food and drink prices rose at the fastest pace since 1977.

Pay awards by British employers held at 5% for the second month in a row in December, well below annual inflation of close to 11%, data from human resources company XpertHR showed on Wednesday.

Pay growth in Britain - which is being closely watched by the Bank of England as it gauges how much higher to raise interest rates - picked up more pace in the three months to November, official data showed on Tuesday.

European debt sales have had their fastest start to the year on record as governments and financial institutions take advantage of borrowing costs falling from multi-year highs.

This week nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to resume strike action on Wednesday and Thursday.

Britain's economy unexpectedly grew in November as consumers splurged during the World Cup, official data showed Friday, but analysts warned that it remains on course for recession due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Steps taken by the government so far to try to generate growth have been questionable.

As with previous rail reforms, progress could be made quickly in shadow mode (before legislation is passed) if the government is clear about the direction of travel.

Britain's government stood accused Wednesday of actively undermining talks with union leaders in a bid to encourage strike action and depress workers' wages across the economy.

The UK government will on Tuesday introduce proposals mandating "minimum safety levels" during strikes, angering unions which have branded it "undemocratic" and threatened legal challenges.

The union has organised unprecedented walkouts by nurses in recent weeks -- the first in its 106-year history.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday he was willing to discuss pay rises for nurses ahead of a meeting with public sector trade union leaders in an effort to end the biggest wave of industrial disputes in decades.