Britain has had a troublesome time of it in 2022, rising from two years within the grip of the coronavirus solely to be confronted by a dire value of residing disaster outlined by runaway inflation and rocketing power payments exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Now, as Christmas approaches, we discover ourselves in a brand new “winter of discontent” with the nation’s unions, representing employees from a variety of public-facing professions, concluding that they haven’t any selection however to undertake industrial motion as their requires improved pay and dealing situations go unanswered whereas rising costs erode earnings.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has organised strike days all through December and into January, as 40,000 employees down instruments at one of many busiest intervals of the yr in a bid to power improved phrases.
“Regardless of each effort made by our negotiators, it’s clear that the federal government is immediately interfering with our makes an attempt to achieve a settlement,” it has mentioned of its newest walkouts.
“The union suspended earlier strike motion in good religion to permit for intensive negotiations to resolve the dispute. But Community Rail have didn’t make an improved provide on jobs, pay and situations for our members over the past two weeks of talks.”
Responding, Community Rail’s chief negotiator Tim Shoveller has mentioned: “Nobody can deny the precarious monetary gap by which the railway finds itself. Placing makes that gap greater and the duty of discovering a decision ever harder.
“We is not going to quit and hope that the RMT will return to the desk with a extra lifelike appreciation of the scenario.”
The Communication Staff’ Union, representing postal employees, can also be at odds with Royal Mail over its members’ wages, resulting in walkouts at a time when the general public might be searching for Christmas presents on-line and counting on deliveries greater than ever.
Royal Mail says it has “well-developed contingency plans” in place however “can’t totally change the day by day efforts of our frontline workforce,” assuring prospects it will be “doing what we are able to to maintain providers working” whereas warning that the strikes are “prone to trigger you some disruption”.
(Supply: Union schedules )
Each Royal School of Nursing (RCN) members and ambulance employees represented by the GMB, Unite and Unison unions are likewise happening strike over pay and situations inside the NHS.
RCN common secretary Pat Cullen mentioned: “Nursing employees have had sufficient of being taken without any consideration, sufficient of low pay and unsafe staffing ranges, sufficient of not having the ability to give our sufferers the care they deserve.”
Additionally placing this month are G4S employees, London bus drivers, Eurostar safety personnel, Border Power brokers, Heathrow baggage handlers, Scottish lecturers, driving examiners in northern England and Scotland and Nationwide Freeway Staff across the nation, all of which provides as much as enormous disruption for the general public and repair issues for companies throughout the nation.
Actually, there may be solely sooner or later this month – by The Impartial’s rely – for which there is no such thing as a main protest demonstration presently scheduled, Saturday 10 December, and that would properly change.
Here’s a timeline of the entire strike dates introduced to this point for December 2022 and early January 2023.
Tuesday 20 December
Royal School of Nurses strike – England, Wales and Northern Eire
Driving examiners strike – northern England and Scotland
Wednesday 21 December
GMB, Unite, Unison ambulance employees and NHS employees strike
Driving examiners strike – northern England and Scotland
Thursday 22 December
RMT Eurostar safety employees strike
Nationwide Highways Staff strike – London and South East
Driving examiners strike – northern England and Scotland
Friday 23 December
Royal Mail postal employees strike
RMT Eurostar safety employees strike
East Midlands Railways strike
Driving examiners strike – northern England and Scotland
Border Power employees strike – Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports
Saturday 24 December
RMT nationwide practice strike from 6pm
Royal Mail postal employees strike
RMT Eurostar safety employees strike
East Midlands Railways strike
Driving examiners strike – northern England and Scotland
Border Power employees strike – Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports
Sunday 25 December
RMT nationwide practice strike
RMT Eurostar safety employees strike
Border Power employees strike – Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports
Monday 26 December
RMT nationwide practice strike
RMT Eurostar safety employees strike
Border Power employees strike – Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports
Tuesday 27 December
RMT practice strike ends 6am
RMT Eurostar safety employees strike continues ends 6am
Wednesday 28 December
GMB, Unite, Unison ambulance employees and NHS employees strike
Border Power employees strike – Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports
Thursday 29 December
Border Power employees strike – Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports
Friday 30 December
Nationwide Highways Staff strike – West Midlands and South West
Border Power employees strike – Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports
Saturday 31 December
Nationwide Highways Staff strike – West Midlands and South West
Border Power employees strike – Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports
Sunday 1 January
Nationwide Highways Staff strike – all areas
Driving examiners’ strike – West Midlands, East Midlands and jap England
Unison employees at Atmosphere Company refuse to volunteer to attend incidents
Monday 2 January
Unison employees at Atmosphere Company refuse to volunteer attend incidents till 9am
Tuesday 3 January
RMT nationwide practice strike
Rural Funds Company (RPA) resume strike
Nationwide Highways Staff strike – all areas
Wednesday 4 January
RMT nationwide practice strike
Nationwide Highways Staff strike – all areas
Driving examiners’ strike – London, South East, South Wales and South West
RPA proceed strike
Thursday 5 January
ASLEF nationwide practice drivers strike
Driving examiners’ strike – London, South East, South Wales and South West
RPA proceed strike
Friday 6 January
RMT nationwide practice strike
Nationwide Highways Staff strike – East Midlands and jap England
Driving examiners’ strike – London, South East, South Wales and South West
RPA proceed strike
Saturday 7 January
RMT nationwide practice strike
Nationwide Highways Staff strike – East Midlands and jap England
Driving examiners’ strike – London, South East, South Wales and South West
Sunday 8 January
Driving examiners’ strike – London, South East, South Wales and South West
Monday 9 January
Driving examiners’ strike – London, South East, South Wales and South West
RPA proceed strike
Tuesday 10 January
Academic Institute of Scotland (EIS) nationwide strike
Driving examiners’ strike – London, South East, South Wales and South West
RPA proceed strike
Wednesday 11 January
EIS, joined by Scottish Secondary Lecturers’ Affiliation, nationwide strike
RPA proceed strike
Thursday 12 January
RPA proceed strike
Friday 13 January
RPA proceed strike
Monday 16 January
EIS nationwide strike lasting for 16 consecutive days till Thursday 2 February