Britain’s High Court has ruled that part of a strike by thousands of nurses planned for next week is illegal. The ruling is a small victory to the government in its bitter dispute with public sector unions. The court said a six-month strike mandate given to the Royal College of Nursing by a members’ vote expires at midnight on Monday and not, as the union argued, the following day. Royal College of Nursing General Secretary Pat Cullen said the union would end its strike at midnight on Monday, but that nurses would be “angered” by the ruling. A wave of public-sector strikes has disrupted schools, hospitals and services as workers seek pay hikes to offset double-digit inflation.
