The end of 2022 was marked by mass industrial unrest as employees across the transport network, NHS, Royal Mail, schools and the civil service took strike action. The start of 2023 has brought further stoppages by rail workers, bus drivers, teachers in Scotland, nurses, ambulance workers and civil servants.
Paul Nowak, the new general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, has warned of a “rolling wave” of strikes this year unless ministers give ground on pay, with unions taking coordinated action so that stoppages happen either on the same day or in quick succession.
Here are the main public service strikes planned for January and February.
Tuesday 3 January
• RMT members working for National Rail restart strike action.
• National Highways traffic officers to begin nationwide strike.
• The DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) strike continues in the east of England, east Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London, while staff at the RPA (Rural Payment Agency) resume their action.
Wednesday 4 January
• The RMT rail strike continues.
• Second day of nationwide strike by National Highways traffic officers.
• The DVSA driving examiners’ strikes will start in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales. RPA staff continue their action.
• Bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London begin strike action.
Thursday 5 January
• Train drivers represented by Aslef launch a national day of strike action.
• The DVSA strike continues in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales. RPA staff continue their action. Bus drivers employed by Abellio continue their industrial action.
Friday 6 January
• The RMT stages another 48-hour strike.
• The DVSA strike continues in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales. RPA staff continue their action.
• National Highways workers in the east Midlands and eastern regions will begin strike action.
Saturday 7 January
• The RMT rail strike continues.
• The DVSA strike continues in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales, while the National Highways workers in the east Midlands and eastern regions take strike action for the second consecutive day.
Sunday 8 January
• The DVSA strike continues in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales.
Monday 9 January
• The DVSA strike continues in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales. RPA staff resume their action.
Tuesday 10 January
• The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union will strike in primary schools, special schools and early years provision.
• Bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London continue strike action.
• The DVSA strike continues in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales. RPA staff continue their action.
Wednesday 11 January
• Ambulance workers represented by Unison and GMB are scheduled to strike in England and Wales.
• The EIS union will stage another strike, but this time in secondary schools and secondary special schools. RPA staff continue their action.
Thursday 12 January
• Prospect members who work on the Elizabeth line will go on strike.
• Bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London continue strike action. RPA staff continue their action.
Friday 13 January
• RPA staff continue their action.
Monday 16 January
• Bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London continue strike action.
• EIS to stage a national strike for 16 consecutive days until 6 February, which will see members in two local authorities strike each day.
Wednesday 18 January
• Nurses represented by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) begin strike action in England.
• Thousands of Environment Agency (EA) workers will strike for the first time in the organisation’s history.
Thursday 19 January
• The nurses continue strike action into a second day.
• More than 1,000 workers in the Welsh Ambulance Service will strike.
• Bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London continue strike action. RPA staff continue their action.
Monday 23 January
• Unison members working for five ambulance services in England will stage another walkout.
• More than 2,600 ambulance workers who are members of the Unite union will take industrial action in north-west and north-east England, West Midlands, east Midlands and Wales.
Wednesday 25 January
• Bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London continue strike action.
• Members of the GMB union who work in Amazon’s Coventry warehouse will take industrial action in a dispute over pay.
Thursday 26 January
• Bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London continue strike action.
• More than 4,200 NHS physiotherapy staff employed across 30 NHS trusts in England will strike.
Wednesday 1 February
• More than 100,000 civil servants will take industrial action across 124 government departments.
Thursday 2 February
• The EIS national strike, which has been running for 16 consecutive days, enters its final day.
Monday 9 February
• NHS physiotherapy staff continue industrial action.
