Hundreds of thousands of workers from nurses and ambulance workers to rail workers and driving examiners have announced strike action over the coming weeks. December is particularly hard hit with industrial action by at least one union happening on every remaining day.
Rail workers, postal workers and driving examiners are all striking on Wednesday. On Thursday nurses will walk out. Members of the Royal College of Nursing will go on strike for the first time in its history, reports The Mirror.
Unions blame the rising cost of living which they say has left many workers across the sectors being faced with using food banks. Many say the pay awards offered fall well short of the level of inflation which stood at 10.7% in November, down from 11.01% in October.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the coming months will be "challenging". However the government has refused to reopen pay talks.
In the meantime strike action is ongoing across a series of sectors, with almost everyone in the country impacted in some way. These are the main ones currently planned.
Trains
Rail staff are staging a number of 48-hour walkouts in December and January in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. More than 40,000 RMT members across Network Rail and 14 train companies are taking strike action on December 14, 16 and 17 and on January 3, 4, 6 and 7.
There is also an overtime ban across the railways from December 18 until January 2, meaning industrial action will last for four weeks. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "We have been reasonable, but it is impossible to find a negotiated settlement when the dead hand of government is presiding over these talks."
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has refused to deny he blocked a 10% pay offer - up from 8% on the table - and inserted the union's red line of 'driver-only operation' into the deal.
Nurses
A total of 300,000 nursing staff are expected to join unprecedented strike action in a bitter row over pay. For the first time in its 106-year history, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) balloted members over walkouts over the government's 4% pay rise. Health Secretary Steve Barclay was accused of "belligerence" after he refused to reopen pay talks and last-minute negotiations fell through.
The RCN's mandate to strike will run until early May next year - and it says action will be carried out legally and safely. Up to 100,000 nurses at 76 NHS trusts and services will down tools for planned strikes on December 15 and 20. The RCN insists the proportion of its 300,000 membership taking part in walk-outs will increase in January if the Government refuses to open pay negotiations.
Midwives in Wales... but not in England
Members of the Royal College of Midwives in Wales backed strike action, with dates yet to be announced. But in England they fell short of the strike threshold - by a tiny margin. Some 88% of those who voted backed strike action. But turnout was only 47%, a whisker under the 50% threshold.
The RCM said: "The fact that we came so close simply makes us more determined to take this fight forward. We will be writing to the Secretary of State asking him to meet with us and our members. The midwifery workforce in England has shrunk by 600 since the last election, and poor pay is a key part of the Government's failure to retain midwives, MSWs and other NHS staff."
Paramedics
Thousands of ambulance workers are set for walkouts before Christmas with paramedics at Unison, Unite and GMB voting for strike action. More than 10,000 workers voted for industrial action from the GMB union alone and with a coordinated walkout on December 21. The GMB members will also strike on December 28.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said pay demands were "not affordable" and warned unions that strikes were in "nobody's best interest". Taxis will be used as makeshift ambulances and troops will drive ambulances but cannot break the speed limit.
Border Force
Around 1,000 passport-checking Border Force staff, employed by the Home Office, are expected to walk out from December 23 to Boxing Day, then December 28 to New Year’s Eve at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester airports. Hundreds of thousands of passengers travelling over Christmas could be hit. The Home Secretary advised Brits to think carefully about their travel plans.
The military is expected to be drafted in to cover for Border Force workers, who are part of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union. Baggage handlers employed by Menzies Aviation at Heathrow Airport are due to stage a 72-hour strike from December 17. They are part of the Unite union.
Civil servants
Around 100,000 civil servants across more than 100 Government departments are set to walk out in December after voting for strike action. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union balloted more than 150,000 government employees at 214 departments - with 126 passing the threshold for strikes.
The Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Environment Agency are among the affected government organisations. Driving examiners and Rural Payments Agency workers were the first to begin striking on December 13 with action planned on a rolling basis until January 10. North-east England and Scotland examiners were the first to strike with their action running until December 18. North-west, Yorkshire and the Humber follow from Monday December 19 to Saturday December 24, East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London are from Wednesday December 28 to Saturday December 31 then on Tuesday January 3. Finally London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales runs from January 4 to 10.
Royal Mail
This dispute has been going on for months between Royal Mail bosses and the posties' union over pay, terms and conditions. Royal Mail workers are poised to walk out on some of the busiest days in the build up to Christmas. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said 115,000 workers are walking out, with images showing post piling up at mail centres and the last Christmas posting date brought forward. There have already been several days of strike action, with further walkouts on December 14, 15, 23 and 24.
Environment Agency
Environment Agency staff have voted overwhelmingly to strike over pay for the first time in the organisation’s 26-year history. Trade union Unison balloted 2,800 staff, and of those who responded, 73% voted to strike and 92% for action short of a strike.
Earlier in the year staff, who also work on the Thames Barrier, maintain coastal defences, and manage the risk of flooding from rivers, reservoirs and the sea, rejected what they see as an insulting 2% pay offer plus a £345 one-off payment. UNISON head of environment Donna Rowe-Merriman said: “Inflation is now even higher than when the ballot opened. In the face of a derisory wage offer that’s way below the cost of living, it’s not hard to see why so many have voted to strike.
“Environment Agency workers take great pride in the support they give to communities and businesses across England. But they’ve been taken for granted for long enough and feel it’s now time to take a stand."
Staff began to "work to rule" on December 12 for an indefinite period. This means they only work their contracted hours, taking all their breaks and rest in full between shifts.
Shelter
More than 500 workers at housing charity Shelter have been walking out for two weeks in a dispute over pay. Industrial action is running between December 5 and December 18 after they were offered a 3% pay rise.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Shelter’s workers are absolutely dedicated to the organisation but they have been forced to take strike action as management refused to listen and understand their financial plight. Rather than sit on ever expanding reserves, Shelter should be paying its workers a fair pay rise.
“Unite does what it says on the trade union tin and always prioritises the jobs, pay and conditions of its members, the workers at Shelter will receive the union’s unstinting support.”
Twiglets and other food workers
Workers who make Jacob’s Cream Crackers and Twiglets are on indefinite strike in a row over pay. The GMB Union said more than 750 staff at Jacob’s Biscuits factory at Aintree, Merseyside, will walk out “every single day until bosses agree to negotiate”.
It is understood employees have been offered 4.25% rises - even though inflation is running at 10.1%. Limited industrial action began in September.
Meanwhile more than 700 workers at fresh food manufacturer Bakkavor are set to go on strike from Friday. Staff at the company, which supplies Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Marks and Spencer, plan to down tools until January 2, with Unite saying many workers earn “just over 1p over the national minimum wage” - forcing many to turn to food banks.
Harrods
More than 50 security guards and CCTV operators at department store Harrods are set to walk out for 12 days in the build up to Christmas, Unite announced after being offered 7% pay rise. This action continues on December 17, 18, 23, 24 and 26.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Harrods and its owners, the Qatar Investment Authority, can absolutely afford to pay these workers a rise that reflects soaring living costs. Harrods, like many Qatari state enterprises, is known the world over for luxury and extravagance, an impression maintained off the backs of workers. Our members at Harrods have Unite’s full support as they fight for a fair pay rise.”
Potential future strikes
Firefighters
Thousands of firefighters are poised to walk out after their union members rejected a 5% pay rise - which is a real-terms cut. The Fire Brigades Union is running a ballot on strike action which ends on January 23. If it passes, dates for strikes will be announced after that.
General Secretary Matt Wrack said: “We have firefighters using foodbanks. Our members worked through the pandemic to help protect their communities, taking on extra duties to do so. A further real-terms pay cut is an absolutely disgusting way to thank them.”
Junior doctors
Junior doctors may also walk out in a dispute over pay, with tens of thousands set to be balloted in January. The British Medical Association (BMA) has accused the government of eroding morale with a 2% pay rise, and said it is leading to dangerous staff shortages.
They have called for medics to be awarded a 26% increase and said "all options are on the table". An estimated 45,000 junior doctors will cast their votes at the start of next year on whether to take industrial action.
Dr Emma Runswick, deputy chair for the BMA Council, saying: 'Years of pay erosion has left the NHS dangerously understaffed, putting the safety of our patients at risk, and yet still this Government refuses to listen. Morale is sinking and without restoring pay the Government risks driving this country’s junior doctors from the NHS to better paid jobs at home or abroad."
