Which industries could be next to strike as union boss predicts UK summer of discontent, from teachers to NHS

Britons face crippling rail strikes this week as the industry sees its biggest outbreak of industrial action in a generation.

The strikes threaten to cause major disruption to events, such as Glastonbury festival, Test match cricket and could even limit freight trains transporting key goods such as food and fuel.

But the rail strikes, scheduled over three days this week but expected to cause disruption lasting for six, could just be the start of a series of walkouts across other sectors.

General secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers (RMT) has predicted a summer of discontent is on the way.

Mick Lynch told Sky News: “I think there are going to be many unions balloting across the country, because people can’t take it anymore.

“We have got people who doing full time jobs who are having to take state benefits and use food banks. That is a national disgrace.”

Teachers, NHS workers, criminal barristers and Royal Mail workers could all stage industrial action over the next few months.

Here i takes a look at what industries could strike next.

Teachers

Teachers are poised to decide whether to go on strike during the autumn term.

The National Education Union (NEU), which represents 460,000 members, has committed to a ballot if they do not secure pay increases for teachers across the board of at least eight per cent – far higher than the three percent on the table.

“If there is no significant improvement on three per cent – which will leave an eight per cent gap with inflation this year alone – we cannot avoid a ballot. The mood among teachers has changed. Last year the issue was mainly workload. This year it is workload and pay,” Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU told the Observer.

“Teachers are doing calculations to see what their hourly pay works out at. Pay is already down 20 per cent on 2010. The strains are showing. One in eight of new graduate teachers are leaving in their first year.”

On Friday, another teachers’ union, the NASUWT, joined those threatening strikes, saying that unless its pay demands were met it would also ballot members on industrial action from November in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Government will want to avoid any potential disruption to classrooms as pupils are still catching up following home schooling during the coronavirus pandemic.

Royal Mail

More than 115,000 Royal Mail workers are set to be balloted on strike action in the next few months, over higher pay demands in the face of the cost of living crisis.

A strike of postal workers would severely impact postal and parcel deliveries.

Royal Mail yesterday announced a two per cent pay rise for workers, back-dated to April 1.

The ballot on industrial action is due to take place in the coming weeks.

Barristers

Criminal barristers in England and Wales have already been balloted on escalating industrial action over legal rates and the results are due early this week.

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) balloted more than 2,400 criminal barristers on options for action, including refusing new defence instruations and possible walkouts.

Lawyers say the criminal justice system is in crisis after a 43 per cent fall in real terms in the legal aid budget since 2004-05.

The CBA have said specialist criminal barristers make an average annual income of £12,200 (after expenses) in the first three years of practice.

Criminal trials could be halted, worsening the existing backlog of over 58,000 cases in the Crown Court.

Walkouts could take place from as soon as Monday 27 June.

NHS Staff

The country’s biggest union, Unison – which represents NHS staff, could also walk out if their annual pay offer is not near inflation, currently running at 9.2 per cent.

It has said the Government now faced a choice between offering a deal close to inflation or triggering a mass exodus of staff coupled with possible industrial action in hospitals, at a time when they are already hugely overburdened and struggling with record waiting lists.

Junior Doctors

Junior doctors are vying for a significant pay rise, as they claim their pay has declined 22 per cent in real terms since 2008-09.

The British Medical Association, a union for UK doctors, has said it will ballot for industrial action by early 2023 at the latest if the demand to restore junior doctors’ pay is not met.

Nurses

Nurses could also walk out if their demands of a pay award of five per cent above inflation is not met.

But the Government has so far requested to cap any pay increased for 2022-23 at three per cent.

Civil servants

The Public and Commercial Services union is preparing to ballot its civil service membership on industrial action later this year over 2022-23 pay proposals. It is calling for a national pay rise of 10 per cent.

Civil servants are also reeling from the Prime Minister’s move to cut 91,000 jobs, returning it to 2016 staffing levels.

Local authority staff

Unite unions have submitted a joint submission to local government demanding a pay rise for 1.4 million council workers of either £2,000 or keeping wages in line with retail price index inflation, currently at 11.1 per cent.

This would affect workers in waste collection, repairs and passenger services for children with special needs.

More transport strikes

The upcoming rail strikes could just be the start for transport disruption this summer.

A second rail union, Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, has served notice to ballot 6,000 staff at Network Rail for industrial action for a pay increase to reflect the cost of living crisis.

If members return a yes vote, strike action could take place from Monday 25 July, when the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games starts.