Britain’s postal workers began six days of strikes on Friday over what a union leader called a “brutal attack on jobs”.
It came as soldiers faced the prospect of giving up Christmas leave to cover for striking Border Force workers.
Talks to head off a rail strike are expected to continue through the weekend amid a wave of industrial unrest.
Royal Mail workers are walking out to demand higher pay and resist plans for job cuts.
“They don’t want to be out on strike over Christmas and in this long-running dispute,” said Dave Ward, the general secretary of the Communication Workers Union.
“But this really is the most brutal attack on jobs that we’ve seen any group of workers have to face in this country,” he told Sky News.
Royal Mail has told customers to send second-class post by December 12 to avoid a Christmas melee.
The six days of strikes lead up to Christmas Eve and come despite months of talks over pay and restructuring.
Elsewhere, Border Force workers in the Public and Commercial Services Union are planning eight days of walk-outs this month.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said on Thursday that military personnel could have to step in and fill key roles.
About 100 soldiers have already been sent to London’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports for training, The Times reported.
It said as many as 600 soldiers could be drafted in to check passports and be on alert for human trafficking.
“These sorts of rolling strikes will cause disruption for everyone,” Mr Sunak’s spokesman said.
Some of the most disruptive strikes will affect public transport if no agreement is reached.
London bus drivers working for Abellio are on strike on Friday and Saturday as part of 10 days of action.
The union Unite accuses Abellio of paying some of the lowest rates for bus drivers in London.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union has meanwhile accused the government of blocking a deal for train staff.
RMT strikes are scheduled to begin next week and are expected to cause chaos on Britain’s railways into early January.
The union says negotiations will continue over the weekend over a pay rise and railway reform.
But it claims that ministers added “last-minute clauses” into offers made by the train companies.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper says reform is needed after taxpayers bailed out the railways to the tune of £31 billion ($37.97 billion) during the pandemic.
Mr Sunak said this week he is working on “new, tough laws” to protect people from strike disruption.
The RMT’s London Underground workers voted on Thursday to renew their strike mandate.
“If a resolution cannot be found, we will continue our industrial campaign for as long as it takes to get justice for our people,” said RMT boss Mick Lynch.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
INFO
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
