Britain is again bracing for 72 hours of strikes by NHS junior doctors in mid-June, with NHS England’s national medical director, Sir Stephen Powis, warning that the latest action will have an “enormous impact” on services.
The medics will walk out from 7am on Wednesday 14 June until the morning of Saturday 17 June as part of the ongoing pursuit of improved pay and working conditions.
“The NHS has been preparing extensively for this next set of strikes, but we know that – with the sheer number of appointments that need to be rescheduled – it will have an enormous impact on routine care for patients and on the waiting list, as procedures can take time to rearrange with multiple teams involved,” Sir Stephen said.
Major strikes by train operators have already caused complications for the public in recent weeks, making life difficult in half-term week and for those attending specific events like the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, the FA Cup Final in London and the Epsom Derby as their own long-running pay disputes rumble on.
The most recent action by the RMT and Aslef on 31 May and 2-3 June came after months of negotiations with the government failed to yield a solution and is unlikely to prove the end of the matter.
Those were only the latest instances of strikes hitting Britain after a long winter in which thousands of workers took action.
From teachers and nurses to civil servants, postal workers and driving instructors, public sector workers have demanded salary increases in response to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
While some of the disputes have been averted – Heathrow security staff belonging to the Unite union recently postponed a series of strikes in order to ballot members on a new wage offer, for instance – many more unions are still planning fresh protests.
Here is a list of all the walkouts that have been announced so far for June 2023, with more likely to follow.
Wednesday 14 June
Junior doctors in England commence 72-hour strike.
Thursday 15 June
Junior doctors’s strike continues.
Friday 16 June
Junior doctors’s strike continues.
Saturday 17 June
Junior doctors’s strike concludes at 7am.
Tuesday 20 June
Arriva bus drivers on strike in north and east London.
Wednesday 21 June
Arriva bus drivers on strike in north and east London.
Tuesday 27 June
Arriva bus drivers on strike in north and east London.
Wednesday 28 June
Arriva bus drivers on strike in north and east London.
