Britain’s “winter of discontent” continues into the new year after a month of bitter strikes in December brought the country to a standstill and placed Christmas in jeopardy for many.
Nurses, railway staff, postal workers, G4S employees, London bus drivers, Eurostar security personnel, Border Force agents, Heathrow baggage handlers, Scottish teachers, driving examiners and National Highway Workers have all walked out in recent weeks as disputes between their employers and unions about pay and working conditions rumble on at a time when the UK remains mired in economic crisis.
Few of those conflicts have been resolved, leading many unions to take further industrial action in January.
Rishi Sunak’s government has so far preferred to present a tough front in negotiations, insisting the money is simply not available to grant the salary increases demanded given the country’s present economic plight.
But the strikers, from train drivers and railway workers to nurses, emergency services personnel, teachers and civil servants, continue to enjoy the support of a majority of the public in polling.
What follows is a list of all the strikes scheduled for the remainder of January 2023, with more set to follow in February.
Monday 23 January
Unison and Unite members working for ambulance services in England will stage another walkout, as will some ambulance staff belonging to the GMB union in the West Midlands.
Tuesday 24 January
GMB ambulance workers in North West England on strike.
Wednesday 25 January
London bus workers at Abellio take action, mostly affecting south and west of the capital.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) are also demonstrating over pay in South Ayrshire and Edinburgh.
Thursday 26 January
London bus workers at Abellio continue their strike.
Unite ambulance staff strike in Northern Ireland.
Physiotherapists will strike in a dispute over pay and staffing in England.
EIS teachers striking in Midlothian and West Dunbartonshire.
Friday 27 January
EIS teachers striking in Renfrewshire and Falkirk.
Saturday 28 January
Court staff with the PCS union resume their strike in England and Wales.
Monday 30 January
EIS teachers striking in Aberdeenshire and the Scottish Borders.
Tuesday 31 January
EIS teachers striking in the Highlands and West Lothian.
