By Jack Mendel
December is set to be a month blighted by industrial strife, with everyone from nurses and posties to train drivers and security staff to walk out.
With inflation reaching a 41-year high at an eye-watering 11.1 per cent, thousands of workers have voted to down tools and ask for a real-term increase in pay.
As it stands, there will be some form of industrial action on every day this month – with some strikes reaching into the new year also.
As many industries tussle between giving pay rises and struggling with their own supply chain costs, the strife is set to continue for weeks, if not months.
With new strikes being announced on a daily basis, here is a list of who is walking out, when, how it might affect you, and what you can do to get around it.
This will be updated regularly.
Transport
Union: RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers)
- Network Rail and 14 other operators. Dates; 13, 14, 16, 17 December and 3, 4, 6, 7 January
- Network Rail workers. Dates: 6pm 24 to 6am 27 December
- Eurostar security staff: Dates; 16, 18, 22, 23 December
- Railway cleaners. Dates: 22, 23, 31 December
- Avanti West Coast workers. Dates 11, 12 December
Union: TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association)
- Avanti West Coast workers. Dates: 13, 14, 16, 17 December
- C2C workers. Date: 17 December
- CrossCountry, East Midlands Railways, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TranspPennine Express, West Midlands Trains. Date: 17 December
Union: Unite the Union
- North London bus workers. Dates: 8, 9, 15, 16, December
- South and West London bus drivers. Dates: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 December.
How will this affect you and how can you get around it?
- Services on the Overground as well as on the Elizabeth, District and Piccadilly lines will be slightly impacted during the RMT and TSSA strikes as TfL shares infrastructure with Network Rail
- Disruption could also hit the Elizabeth line later this month, as members of the union TSSA working for Crossrail are currently being balloted. The ballot will close on 22 December
- While Londoners themselves might be less disrupted, those commuting in and out of the capital will be the most affected
- Strikes often co-ordinated to cause maximum disruption so check alternative arrangements
- Better to travel before a strike than afterwards because services may take time getting back to normal
- Be wary of private hire services like Uber and Bolt adding surcharges due to increased demand when no public transport available
- Remember more people will use bike and e-scooter sharing apps than normal
- Working from home may be the best solution for many industries
- With eight days of strike by the RMT in the run up to Christmas, it is estimated that the industry will lose up to £260m, while hospitality could lose out on £1.5bn
Huw Merriman, the rail minister, said the strikes could “break” businesses and urged the RMT to show the “spirit of compromise.. after the terrible time they have had”.
Hospitality and retail
Union: GMB
- More than 1,000 G4S security workers who deliver cash. Date: Monday 4 December
- Rail strikes could lead to hospitality losing out on an estimated £1.5bn
How will this affect you and how can you get around it?
- G4S security workers are walking out over pay, meaning on the strike day there could be a shortage of coins at major supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda and Aldi.
- It has been recommended to try and use card instead of cash on this date.
Healthcare and public services
Postal workers
Union: CWU (Communication and Workers Union). Dates: Thursday December 1, Friday December 9, Sunday December 11, Wednesday December 14, Thursday December 15, Friday December 23 and Christmas Eve
How will this affect you and how can you get around it?
- It is advisable to send Christmas in advance if you’re using Royal Mail services, or alternatively use private delivery services.
- Due to strikes there is likely to be a spike in demand for alternative services, so it may be better hand-delivering items where possible.
Healthcare workers
Union: GMB
- 10,000 ambulance workers to strike. Dates: 21 and 28 December
Union: Unison, Unite
- Ambulance workers. Dates: 21 December
Union: Royal College of Nursing .
Up to 100,000 nurses will take part in historic first ever strike in the industry. Date: Thursday 15, Tuesday 20 December.
How will this affect you and how can you get around it?
Ambulance workers are striking over both pay and staff shortages, with waiting times in almost 85 per cent of England being above the seven minute target. While no date has yet been set for the walk-out by emergency staff, it is set to exacerbate an already desperate problem for those needing medical attention. It is advisable to only use emergency services unless absolutely necessary when the strike dates are announced.
The Royal College of Nursing announced their first ever strike to take place on two days in the run-up to Christmas, with similar concerns raised about pay and a severe staff shortage, leading to long waiting times. Strikes will likely put additional pressure on those needing to use the NHS, with Christmas often being one of the busiest periods for the health service.
What strikes have been called off?
- Members of the union Unite working as bus drivers on North London routes were supposed to begin striking on Thursday but called off the walkout following a pay offer. The union said it will put the pay proposal to its members.
- BT reached a settlement with the CWU over pay in November.
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