Hospitals in the UK are bracing for strikes by nurses and ambulance workers in the coming weeks as Britain's “winter of discontent” drags into the new year.
Teachers have also decided to undertake a protest action over pay and working conditions, and union bosses representing junior doctor could be next.
Britain has been hit by a series of strikes, including by rail workers who have demanded significant pay increases during a cost-of-living crisis and a tax-raising budget.
With inflation above 10 per cent, managers are seldom offering increases to match that and workers say they have not had a real-terms pay increase for years.
So far, government talk about compromise has not found an answer.
Here is a look at who is striking and when.
Nurses
Nurses in England held four strike days in December and January and have two more planned after deciding the UK government has not begun “detailed negotiations”.
Nurses will still provide emergency care but routine services will be, at least, reduced.
The Royal College of Nursing wants a pay offer of 5 per cent above inflation. It points to London School of Economics research that found the salaries of experienced nurses have declined by 20 per cent in real terms over 10 years.
Strikes are planned for:
- February 6
- February 7
In Scotland, an RCN strike is back on the cards after nurses overwhelmingly rejected a pay offer from the Scottish government.
The RCN paused its planned protest action when the Scottish government reopened pay negotiations, but the most recent offer was rejected.
The Royal College of Midwives also rejected the Scottish government proposals. Strike dates have yet to be scheduled.
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Members of the Royal College of Nursing on the picket line outside Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, as nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland strike over pay. PA -
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) General Secretary Pat Cullen joins members on the picket line outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. PA -
NHS nursing staff outside Guy's Hospital in London. Bloomberg -
Demonstrators outside St Thomas' Hospital in London. Bloomberg -
The picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital. PA -
About a quarter of hospitals and community teams in England are striking, alongside all trusts in Northern Ireland and all but one health board in Wales. Bloomberg -
RCN members outside St Thomas' Hospital. Reuters -
Nurses on strike outside Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. PA -
A message to the government outside St Thomas' Hospital. Reuters -
Nurses on the picket line outside Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool. PA -
Nurses brave the cold for the strike in London. Reuters -
Ms Cullen, head of the RCN union, speaks to the media outside St Thomas' Hospital. Reuters -
A sign, right, referring to the Clap for our Carers campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many nurses say they would rather be rewarded with a pay rise. Reuters
Ambulance
Three unions — GMB, Unison and Unite — representing tens of thousands of ambulance workers are in pay disputes across the country.
Not all unions have been on strike on the same days. The GMB called off a December 28 strike and Unison has already had one strike day in January.
Strike dates
- February 6: GMB
- February 10: Unsion
- February 20: GMB
- March 6: GMB
- March 20: GMB
Action by GMB ambulance staff affects nine trusts in England and Wales.
- South Western Ambulance Service
- South East Coast Ambulance Service
- North West Ambulance Service
- South Central Ambulance Service
- North East Ambulance Service
- East Midlands Ambulance Service
- West Midlands Ambulance Service
- Welsh Ambulance Service
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Unison ambulance crews for five trusts are striking.
- London Ambulance Service
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service
- North West Ambulance Service
- North East Ambulance Service
- South West Ambulance Service
The Unison strike involves paramedics and emergency care assistants.
Meanwhile, Unite represents workers at three services.
- North West Ambulance Service
- West Midlands Ambulance Service
- North East Ambulance Service
Junior doctors
More than 45,000 members of the British Medical Association are being consulted on whether to strike over pay. The result of the ballot is due in February.
A full 72-hour walkout could take place in March if more than half of the junior doctors vote for a protest action. Junior doctors working for the NHS last walked out in 2016.
Other health jobs
Hundreds of staff working for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are taking strike action on January 17 over pay and staffing.
The walkout by members of Unison will be followed by four days of working to rule.
Physiotherapists will strike in a dispute over pay and staffing on January 26 and February 9.
Teachers
The National Education Union, Britain's biggest teachers' union, held the first of its planned seven strike dates in February.
Thousands of schools closed for the day because of action by the NEU, although many parents only found out on Wednesday morning if their children would have to stay at home.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she was disappointed that teachers had voted to go on strike. Nine in 10 teachers are members of the NEU. Not all areas will be affected by the strikes on every date.
School managers say schools have been hit by a major shortfall of teachers, with many opting to leave the profession in recent years.
Strike dates:
- February 1
- February 14
- February 28
- March 1
- March 2
- March 15
- March 16
Universities
More than 70,000 staff at 150 universities across the UK will strike for 18 days between February and March in disputes over pay, conditions and pensions. Only one date has so far been announced.
Strike date:
- February 1
Rail
There are two disputes taking place — one involving train drivers in the Aslef union and the other involving rail staff members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union
The RMT has staged a series of strikes already in January as part of a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. Both unions have now scheduled strikes for February.
Strike dates:
- February 1
- February 3
Companies involved in the protest action include:
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Great Western Railway
- Greater Anglia
- GTR Great Northern Thameslink
- London North Eastern Railway
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- Southern/Gatwick Express
- South Western Railway (depot drivers only)
- SWR Island Line
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Trains
London Underground
There are no further strike dates but there will be some fallout from rail strikes where the track is owned by Network Rail.
As such, disruption will affect parts of the District and Bakerloo lines, the London Overground and the Elizabeth Line.
Elizabeth Line
Maintenance workers on London's Elizabeth Line will stage a 24-hour strike from Friday night in a dispute over pay.
- February 3-4
London bus drivers
Dozens of bus services in the capital were severely curtailed because of a strike by drivers working for Abellio. There have been three strike days already and more are planned.
Civil servants
More than 100,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are on strike, including Border Agency staff at ports and airports.
Staff at government departments going on strike include the Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and the Social Care, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Home Office, Ofsted and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
The union announced on Tuesday night that its Border Force members in France would strike during the February half-term. The government has offered civil servants a pay rise of 2 per cent to 3 per cent.
Strike date:
- February 1
Legal advisers
In a separate dispute, PCS members working as legal advisers and court associates in more than 82 courts across England and Wales will next strike on January 28.
