Thousands of nurses in England have gone on strike to demand a 5% pay increase above inflation, joining a wave of strikes by public sector workers across the U.K. The strike has caused disruption for travelers, as inflation in the U.K. has hit a 41-year high of 11.1%. The strike is a stark contrast to the appreciation shown to health workers during the Covid pandemic, and the government is under increasing pressure to address the issue of long-term deterioration of the National Health Service.