Motorists face strike chaos on the roads from today until Christmas Day with a walkout by National Highways workers as millions of people are set to hit the road during the festive period.
People heading home for Christmas face disruption in the latest phase of industrial action by the biggest civil service union.
The strike involves members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) working as on-road traffic officers and regional operating centre operatives in London and south-east England.
The four-day walkout by workers who plan, design, build, operate and maintain the roads follows action by colleagues in Yorkshire & Humber, north-west and north-east England.
At the same time separate industrial action by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will see people hit by a national rail strike that will run from 6pm on Christmas eve until December 27.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said that the strike by National Highways workers could be solved by the Government putting "more money on the table".
He said: “We’re aware our action is likely to inconvenience travellers but, even as we escalate it ahead of Christmas, we remind people this dispute could be resolved today if the Government puts more money on the table.
“Our members are telling us they have to cut back their spending at Christmas time because they are running out of money. They have been offered a below-inflation pay award, at a time when inflation is higher than 10%.”
The National Highways strikes will escalate further on December 30 when PCS members across the traffic officer service in the West Midlands and south-west England begin action and on January 6 when it reaches the East Midlands and eastern England.
In addition, all PCS members in National Highways, working for the traffic officer service, will take action on January 3 and 4.
PCS has served formal notice on the Department for Work and Pensions of extended strike action in parts of the department in the first week of January as part of its national campaign.
Benefit processing members in Doncaster Crossgate House, a threatened closure site, have been on strike since Monday and are joined on Thursday by the rest of the PCS members at the site.
All PCS members in the building will now take strike action during the first week in January.
Action by PCS members in Toxteth, City and Duke Street jobcentres in Liverpool will be extended to January 7, the union announced.
