The UK faces a wave of new strikes amid continuing industrial disputes over pay, jobs and conditions. New strikes or ballots for industrial action are seemingly announced every week as workers across the country demand pay rises to keep up with rapidly rising inflation and the cost of living crisis.
The new "winter of discontent" comes amid worsening industrial relations and accusations from union officials that the Government is doing little or nothing to help workers struggling with mounting bills. Postal workers will stage numerous walkouts in the lead up to the busy Christmas period, while nurses and teachers are being balloted on whether to strike over the coming months.
Here are the strikes and potential disputes taking place over the next few weeks:
Today, October 13: Postal workers have begun a new strike over pay and conditions, with 19 further days of strike action in the coming weeks. They are also set to walk out on Thursday, October 20, and Tuesday, October 25.
November 28: The Communication Workers' Union has also said it intends to take one day of national strike action on November 28. It then plans a series of strikes that would affect different parts of the Royal Mail's network on different days.
October 21: A GMB ballot of 100,000 local government workers closes.
November 2: A strike ballot of Royal College of Nursing members closes.
November 11: A strike ballot of sixth-form teachers over a pay dispute closes.
November 11: A strike ballot of Royal College of Midwives members opens.
Date TBC: Strike ballots of GMB union members in all 10 ambulance trusts in England will be held.
