More than 500,000 workers will strike in the coming weeks as unions fight for better pay and against cuts in services.
It could top one million if other threatened action goes ahead.
Almost every major trade union is involved, many also fighting to protect employees’ rights.
In the run-up to Christmas there will be strikes on the railways, roads, buses and airports. Nurses, ambulance staff, paramedics and postal workers will also take the agonising decision to walk out, many losing pay as a result.
It follows a decade of Tory austerity during which millions of us have had real-terms pay cuts.
PM Rishi Sunak ’s answer is to try to outlaw strikes, and he told MPs on Wednesday he was working on new legislation. Strikes undoubtedly cause inconvenience. But union chiefs argue they are not just fighting for their members, but also to protect services which risk being decimated by Tory cuts.
Here, we look at 12 strikes coming up before Christmas and outline what is at the heart of each.
Ambulance staff
Who is striking and when?
The first nationwide ambulance strike in 30 years is planned for December 21.
Nine of the 10 services in England and Wales will join, with only the East of England unaffected. It involves paramedics, emergency care assistants and call handlers.
GMB, Unison and Unite are co-ordinating action for the day after a nurses’ strike. The GMB, with 10,000 ambulance worker members, has further strike action on December 28.
What is the dispute about?
Unions want an above-inflation pay rise after a decade of real-terms cuts.
Border Force
Who is striking and when?
Around 1,000 passport-checking Border Force staff, employed by the Home
Office, are expected to walk out from December 23 to Boxing Day, then December 28 to New Year’s Eve at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester airports.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers travelling over Christmas could be hit.
Reports say airlines were told to cancel up to 30% of flights on strike days.
What is the dispute about?
It’s part of the Public and Commercial Services Union dispute.
Bus drivers
Who is striking and when?
Nearly 1,000 drivers employed by Abellio in London are due to strike on December 16 and 17. It will mostly affect travel in the South and West of the capital and Heathrow Airport.
Bus drivers at Stagecoach Sunderland are due to walk out on December 23, 24, 26 and 27.
What is the dispute about?
The Unite union accuses Abellio of not entering “meaningful pay talks”.
Officials from the GMB union insist Stagecoach’s offer was a real-terms salary cut.
Nurses
Who is striking and when?
Up to 100,000 nurses at 76 NHS trusts and services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will walk out on December 15 and 20.
The Royal College of Nursing has warned the number of staff joining the strike could increase in January if the Government refuses to open pay negotiations.
What is the dispute about?
The RCN wants a rise of 5% above the retail prices index measure of inflation.
Unions representing health workers also have issues about working conditions, such
as staff safety and crumbling hospitals.
Royal Mail strikes
Who is striking and when?
Some 115,000 members of the Communication Workers Union at Royal Mail are due to strike on Friday and on Sunday before two further 48 hour strikes on December 14 and 15 and December 23 and 24.
What is the dispute about?
The CWU opposes Royal Mail’s “imposed” 2% pay rise. Royal Mail has upped the offer but the union says it comes with strings attached.
It also accuses the privatised postal giant of reneging on agreed reforms with large scale job cuts and an overhaul of working practices.
Airport workers
Who is striking and when?
Baggage handlers employed by Menzies Aviation at Heathrow Airport are due to stage a 72-hour strike from December 17, hitting those taking pre-Christmas flights.
What is the dispute about?
The Unite union is demanding what it calls a “fair” pay offer.
Shelter staff
Who is striking and when?
More than 600 workers at the housing and homeless charity Shelter began an unprecedented fortnight of strike action on December 5 that ends on December 16.
What is the dispute about?
The Unite union says the charity imposed a 3% pay rise when inflation is over 11%.
Driving instructors
Who is striking and when?
Some driving examiners at the DVSA will hold rolling strikes from December 13 to January 10.
What is the dispute about?
Part of the PCS union’s dispute.
Firefighters
Who is striking and when?
No new dates yet but a consultative strike ballot opened on December 5 and will close on January 30.
What is the dispute about?
Anger at a pay offer of 5% which is less than half the rate of inflation.
Highways
Who is striking and when?
Drivers are warned of possible disruption amid 12 days of strikes from December 16 by National Highways staff who operate and maintain roads.
What is the dispute about?
The Public and Commercial Services union, which represents National Highways staff, also has members at the Rural Payments Agency, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Home Office and elsewhere. All threaten industrial action.
In all, more than 100,000
civil servants could strike.
They want a 10% rise and job security amid threats of massive cuts. Pension and redundancy protection are also demanded.
PCS chief Mark Serwotka said: “They are being told there’s no money while watching ministers giving out contracts worth billions to their mates.”
Train staff
Who is striking and when?
Around 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union are due to walk out during two 48-hour stoppages on Tuesday and Wednesday next week and then December 16 and 17.
Workers will also strike from 6pm on December 24 until the morning of December 27.
It will curtail passenger services before Christmas and potentially disrupt engineering works over the break. More strikes are planned for January 3 and 4 and January 6 and 7. Security staff contracted by Eurostar are to walk out on December 16, 18, 22 and 23.
Aslef, the train drivers’ union, could call further strikes this month.
What is the dispute about?
The long-running row with Network Rail and 14 train operating companies is over pay, jobs and changes to working practices, including running services without guards.
Teachers
Who is striking and when?
Scotland’s biggest teacher’s union, the EIS, is involved in continuing strikes.
Lecturers, librarians and researchers at 150 unis have walked out three times with more strikes planned.
What is the dispute about?
The University and College Union, Unison, Unite, the GMB and the EIS are in a pay row with employers.
