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undreds of thousands of workers across multiple sectors have voted to go on strike, including rail workers, ambulance workers, Royal Mail workers, and civil servants.
With long-running disputes throughout December, what sectors will be striking in January?
University lecturers and teachers
In November, 70,000 lecturers, librarians, and researchers across 150 UK universities kicked off three days of strike action over pay, working conditions, and pensions. On the same day, Scottish schools shut as teachers went on strike, making it Scotland’s first national schools strike since the Eighties.
The University and College Union (UCU) said they were prepared to take “even bigger action” in the new year unless conditions improve.
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The teaching staff want better pay and revised pay offers have been made, but the unions rejected them, asking for a 10 per cent rise instead. Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville says their demands are “unaffordable”.
Rail workers
There will be further strike action this week, on January 3, 4, 6, and 7. And on January 5, Aslef train drivers are staging a 24-hour walkout, which means commuters will suffer travel disruption the entire week.
Talking about the plans, which have been estimated to have caused a £300 million blow to London’s economyover Christmas, the general secretary of the RMT unions said he was “not the Grinch”.
The rail workers’ strike actions have been ongoing for months, leaving many unable to get to work and significantly affecting businesses across the nation.
Expect cancelled trains and more delays this week
/ PA WireNurses and medics
Nurses will go on strike again on January 18 and 19 in England unless pay talks are opened, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said.
Nurses at more hospital trusts than before will be involved in the strike action in the new year, the union said.
Two days of nurses strikes were held in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on December 15 and 20, which resulted in more than 40,000 patient appointments and procedures being rescheduled.
Their strike is set to run until early May 2023, and the union has said it will be carried out in a legal and safe manner.
Their colleagues, junior doctors, and paramedics, aren’t happy about pay, either. The British Medical Association (BMA) has asked for medics to be awarded a 26 per cent pay increase. If they cannot agree on a pay rise, BMA and around 45,000 junior doctors will cast their votes to decide if they wish to go on strike.
Civil servants
Road workers will strike this week, with the action risking “bringing the road network to a standstill”.
They will strike in different parts of England on January 3, 4, 6, and 7, after they previously took action in December, joining around 100,000 civil servants across more than 100 government departments.
Royal Mail workers
Royal Mail workers walked out in the busy Christmas period. And although further strike action has not been planned as yet, the dispute has still not been resolved.
Firefighters
Firefighters, who refused a five per cent pay rise, are running a ballot on strike action from now until January 30.
More than 33,000 firefighters and control-room staff will vote on whether to take industrial action.
Fire Brigades’ Union (FBU) general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Strike action will always be a last resort but we are running out of options.
“Many firefighters and control staff are desperate. Some are struggling to afford to live. It is a dreadful and very serious state of affairs.
“We are doing everything we can to secure a decent offer. We have held talks with and written letters to many different parties, but no such pay offer has been forthcoming.”
Ambulance workers
A new co-ordinated walkout by ambulance workers has been announced for January 11 and 23 after a strike last week was cancelled.
Strike action planned for December 28 was called off by GMB, the union for paramedics and ambulance workers.
The GMB union said that the post-Christmas strike was called off following “amazing” public support.
Members of the union were due to walk out on December 28 in an increasingly bitter dispute over pay and staffing.
Instead, a strike has been announced for January 11 and 23, 2023.
The GMB said there was “incredible” support during industrial action by the union and members of Unite and Unison.
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