Up to half a million Scots are taking part in a UK-wide industrial action today, as workers are taking a stand in what has been dubbed "Walkout Wednesday".
In one of Britain's largest mass strikes, Scottish workers across several professions are halting labour to improve a wide array of pay and working conditions. Among them include teachers, rail workers, various civil service staff and university employees.
The action, taking place on Wednesday, February 1, is to coincide with the "right to strike" rallies occurring across Britain to combat the UK government's anti-striking bill.
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is hosting rallies in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee from 1pm, to demand an end to the Conservatives' Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.
According to GOV.UK, the law requires that certain levels of services are provided even when workers strike. If not, "the unions will lose legal protections from damages" and workers who do strike could also be let go and "lose their protection from automatic, unfair dismissal".
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) are hosting several demonstrations across the country, fighting for fair pay, pensions and job security. The union reports that 100,000 civil service staff are taking part in the strikes, which began at 10am this morning.
Workers employed in several industries are taking part in today's striking action both in Scotland and beyond. Here are some of the biggest walkouts happening today.
Civil servants
100,000 civil servants from a staggering 123 sectors have been on the picket line since 10am this morning.
The strikes will impact a wide array of services, including museums, driving tests, prisons and tourism. The PCS is seeking a 10 per cent pay rise for workers.
Among the long list of departments that are walking out include:
- Department for Work & Pensions (DWP)
- Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
- Food Standards Scotland
- NatureScot
- National Museums Scotland
- Revenue Scotland
- Scottish Prison Service
Rail workers
Strikes organised by the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) and The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), will affect 17 train companies, with no services running on Wednesday, February 1, and again on Friday, February 3.
The unions are currently battling a longtime dispute over pay and working conditions and have rejected a four per cent pay rise offer on two separate occasions. However, ScotRail has confirmed their services will not be going ahead as normal on both dates.
David Simpson, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: "No ScotRail services will be affected by this week's upcoming strike action. It is disappointing to see more widespread disruption across the Great Britain at a time when the railway needs to be doing everything it can to encourage more people to travel by train.
"The dispute between the trade unions and other train operators does not involve any ScotRail staff, which means ScotRail services will operate as normal on Wednesday, 1 and Friday, 3 February."
Teachers
Educators in Aberdeen and Clackmannanshire are walking out today as part of a 16-day strike programme.
The rolling schedule affects teachers in two local authorities each day. This will then be followed by an extra 22 days of strike action, as they battle for a ten per cent pay rise.
All primary and secondary schools in both regions are closed today.
University staff
The Universities and College Union (UCU) have said that 70,000 workers across the UK are striking today, affecting 150 universities in Great Britain.
Their Scottish branch UCU Scotland confirmed that Scots universities will also be hit by the unprecedented strike action.
The long-running dispute is over pay, working conditions and pensions, having rejected a "full and final pay offer" of between five and 8 per cent rise.
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