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A train signalman at King’s Cross station. Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are continuing to strike over pay, jobs and conditions (Photo: PA)
Strikes in a number of industries and workplaces have taken place across the UK in 2022 as employees call for better pay and in some cases, conditions.
Thursday’s walkout by Royal Mail, BT and Openreach workers was one of the biggest this year with more than 40,000 people downing tools.
There is more industrial action to come, though, with strikes planned by rail workers and staff at Royal Mail as well as Arriva bus workers and Stagecoach (Hull).
Here is what we know.
When will the strikes take place?
Rail
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has organised a fresh round of strikes for Thursday 3, Saturday 5 and Monday 7 November.
The strike days will also have a knock-on effect on the days from Thursday November 3 to Tuesday 8 November.
Previous nation RMT strikes have seen around 40,000 workers walk out across more than a dozen operators. Fewer than a fifth of trains ran on strike days.
Train managers on Avanti West Coast who are members of RMT are to strike on Saturday 22 October and Sunday 6 November in a dispute over rosters being imposed.
ScotRail staff, also represented by RMT, will walk out on Saturday 29 October.
London Underground and Overground staff will strike on Thursday 3 November as part of a separate dispute.
Royal Mail
Staff represented by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have been holding 19 days of action throughout October and November.
The next walkout is planned for Tuesday 25 October 2022.
According to the Royal Mail, the strike will affect “members who collect, sort, distribute and deliver parcels and letters across the UK.”
CWU members who “collect, sort, distribute and deliver parcels and letters” are to take strike action over three days from Wednesday 2 November up to and including Friday 4 November, the Royal Mail said.
It added: “The planned strikes on Wednesday 2, Thursday 3 and Friday 4 November involve CWU members in different areas of our organisation, with each area taking strike action on different days.
“This means most services will only be affected on one or two of the days during the planned days of strike action that week.”
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said the “significant announcement” of strikes “matches the level of anger our members feel” at their treatment.
He added: “The chief executive of Royal Mail Group is treating postal workers as if they are stupid.
“These are the same people that have kept the country connected and returned Royal Mail Group to record profit.
Arriva
Strikes by drivers at depots in Northfleet, Gillingham, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in Kent will continue, with walk-outs over pay already scheduled for the whole of next week, Monday 24 to Friday 28 to October, according to Kent Online.
Arriva said it would continue “to do all we can to resolve this dispute as quickly as possible”.
Unite said: “Unite’s members have rejected Arriva’s latest offer as it did not meet their expectations.
“The strike actions scheduled for next week will now go ahead, unless Arriva returns with an improved offer.”
Stagecoach (Hull)
Unite members who work for Stagecoach Hull bus and coach company have been on all-out strike since Friday 7 October over pay.
Workers taking action include bus drivers, cleaners, engineers and commercial assistants.
The strikes are expected to last until December this year.
Last month, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Stagecoach makes money hand over fist, but is offering a pay cut disguised as a pay rise to our members, who will not accept poverty wages from this wealthy company any longer.
“Unite believes if wealthy employers can pay, they should pay. The union believes it is right to challenge employers who make excessive profits by exploiting and underpaying workers. Our members will receive Unite’s complete support until this dispute is resolved.”
What other action has been taking place?
More than 300 offshore workers have been on a 48-hour strike since Thursday continuing today, in a union dispute over pay.
Unite the union said the workers involved are employed by Archer, Maersk, Transocean and Odfjell.
The industrial action covers several North Sea installations.
Further strikes are planned for later in the year, the BBC reports.
The pay dispute involves workers covered by the United Kingdom Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA).
RMT members working on buses in Somerset, and Cornwall are on strike on Friday for better pay and conditions.
According to the RMT union: “First Group workers are angry that many of them are only paid just over £11 an hour and that bosses only offered a small uprate to £12 an hour.
“The company paid out £500m to shareholders in 2021/22 and has an operating profit of £226m.”
What has been the reaction to the strikes?
Rail
Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator, said: “A two-year eight per cent deal, with discounted travel and a new extended job guarantee to January 2025, is on the table ready to be put to our staff.
“Unfortunately, the leadership of the RMT seems intent on more damaging strikes rather than giving their members a vote on our offer.
“Me and my team remain available for serious talks and continue to negotiate in good faith.
“Our sector has a £2bn hole in its budget with many fewer passengers using our services.”
The Royal British Legion (RBL) said its London Poppy Day fundraiser event “will not go ahead as planned” on Thursday 3 November because of the strike action.
The RBL says it is now “urgently considering alternative arrangements to lessen the impact” from the loss of funds of around £1m.
Up to 2,000 personnel, veterans and volunteers had been lined up to help with collections at 70 locations across London’s Tube and train stations, office blocks and out on the streets from 7am to 7pm.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has written to the RBL saying the union “obviously regrets and apologises for the disruption caused by strike action” which he described as “an absolute last resort”.
Royal Mail
“Royal Mail has well-developed contingency plans, but we cannot fully replace the daily efforts of our frontline workforce.
“We’ll be doing what we can to keep services running, but we are sorry this planned strike action is likely to cause you some disruption.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail is losing £1m a day and must change faster in response to changing customer demands. We operate in a competitive market, and our customers have choices.
“Further strikes and resistance to transformation by CWU will only make our financial position worse, and threatens the long-term job security of our postmen and women.”
Just recently, Royal Mail announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs by next August, blaming ongoing strike action and rising losses at the business.
Some 6,000 redundancies are part of the proposals in which Royal Mail plans to cut overtime, temporary staff roles and to stop filling roles when employees leave the business.
Royal Mail also said it expects its full-year losses to hit £350m.
Arriva
A spokesman for Arriva said: “We are incredibly disappointed that Unite members have voted not to accept our latest improved and above inflation pay offer, inflicting yet further disruption on our customers
“We urge the union to reconsider its position, to act in good faith and to show a genuine willingness to resolve this dispute for the benefit of their members and our customers.”
Stagecoach Hull
Matt Cranwell, managing director of Stagecoach, East Midlands, said the strike action, which is expected to last until December this year, risks the future of Hull’s bus network.
Unite said their members want £13-an-hour which would still leave them earning less than their Stagecoach staff in Merseyside who make £14-an-hour, Hull Live reports.
Mr Cranwell said: “This continued strike action is hurting our people, our customers and our communities. It is also hitting the pockets of our employees at a time when every penny counts and is now risking the future of Hull’s bus network.”
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