Now, one day after the monarch’s funeral, strikes are back on as workers press their claims for better pay and conditions and annual inflation hovers around 10%.
More strikes could be on the way this fall, threatening unprecedented disruption across a range of industries.
Teachers, doctors and nurses are set to vote on strike action in the coming weeks.
The walkout will overlap with strike action by hundreds of dockworkers at the Port of Liverpool, another key UK trade hub.
Last week, the country narrowly averted a rail strike by more than 50,000 workers after unions and railroad companies came to a tentative deal over pay.