Strikes in the run up to Christmas

The UK is facing a wave of strikes this winter, as workers from different industries seek better pay, in line with, or above, inflation while the cost of living soars. Sky News broke it down by sector.

Transport

Rail

Rail strikes take place on 11-12 December (just Avanti West Coast), 13-14 December, 16-17 December, 24-27 December, 3-4 January, 6-7 January.

An overtime ban from 18 December until 2 January by RMT members will also affect many train services.

Eurostar strikes will take place on 16, 18, 22, 23 December.

Bus

Abellio (south and west London) strikes are taking place on 2-3 December, 9-10 December, 16-17 December.

Metroline (north and west London) strikes are set for 8-9 December, 15-16 December.

GMB strikes in Sunderland will take place on 23-24 December and 26-27 December.

Roads

Staggered strikes across English regions between 16 December and 7 January.

16-17 December: Northwest, Yorkshire and North East. 22-25 December: London and South East. 30-31 December: West Midlands and South West. 3-4 January: All areas. 6-7 January: East Midlands and Eastern.

National Highways employees, who plan, design, build, operate and maintain the country's roads, will take part in a series of "staggered" strikes in England.

Traffic officers help keep the roads moving and users safe through planning and delivering schemes as well as providing key safety services such as rolling road blocks, smart motorways and lane closures.

Air

16 December from 4am for 72 hours.

A total of 350 baggage handlers employed by Menzies at Heathrow airport are due to strike ahead of Christmas in a continuing pay row.

Postal

Further Royal Mail strikes take place on 9, 11, 14-15, 23-24 December.

Final Christmas postal dates are 12 December (2nd Class and Royal Mail 48), 16 December (1st Class, Royal Mail 24 and Tracked 48), 19 December (Tracked 24) and 21 December (Special Delivery Guaranteed).

NHS

Nurses

Strikes take place on 15 and 20 December in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing are set to strike in December for the first time ever. The strikes will result in thousands of cancelled NHS operations and appointments.

Junior doctors

Junior doctors - any doctor below consultant level - who are BMA members will be balloted to strike on 9 January 2023.

Other NHS staff

Five other unions are balloting for strike action, which could be co-ordinated, by NHS staff who are not junior doctors or nurses, including ambulance staff, midwives, physios and hospital porters.

Firefighters

More than 33,000 firefighters and control room staff start voting on Monday 5 December on whether to strike over pay.

Education

University lecturers, librarians and researchers at 150 UK universities went on strike on 24 and 30 November and 1 December, with more strike dates threatened.

Civil servants

Driving examiners will go on strike on a rolling regional basis starting in Scotland and the North from 13-18 December.

Staff at the Rural Payments Agency will walk out on 13-16 December, 19-23 December and 3-6, 9-13 January.

Home Office workers from a variety of departments will go on strike, including Border Force staff, the Department for Transport, including the DVLA and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, including the Rural Payments Agency,

Food delivery

Strike dates will be announced for the Christmas period.

Almost 400 GMB members who work for Bestfood and deliver food to chain restaurants such as KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Zizzi, Pizza Express and Wagamama have voted to strike.

Beer

The strike will last five days from 5 December.

Unite members at brewers Greene King will go on strike after they were offered a 3% pay rise and a one-off payment of £650.

Workers, who brew and distribute beer such as the brewery's IPA, Old Speckled hen and Abbot Ale, said the offer was a substantial real-terms wage cut because of inflation, but the brewer said it was a fair pay rise.

Homeless charity staff

More than 600 workers at the housing and homeless charity Shelter are beginning an unprecedented fortnight of strike action on Monday 5 December in a dispute over pay.

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