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The Independent UK

National

Joe Sommerlad

UK strike dates August 2023: All the confirmed days

St Mungo Menzies NHS Birmingham Gatwick Airport United Kingdom Aslef RMT BMA Liverpool John Moores University

Britain is bracing for further industrial action this August as both junior doctors and senior doctors belonging to the British Medical Association (BMA) stage further walkouts while Aslef, the train drivers’ union, is also taking “action short of a strike” by announcing further overtime bans, which is likely to result in the cancellation of further trains relied upon by beleaguered commuters.

Months of negotiations between the government and unions representing workers in public-facing professions have failed to yield a solution to ongoing disputes over pay and working conditions in a number of sectors, leaving the NHS with little choice but to cancel routine appointments and treatments and travellers stranded on platforms.

Recent rail strikes in late May and early June made life difficult for parents in half-term week and for those attending specific summer events such as the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, the FA Cup Final in London and the Epsom Derby, as trainline employees and station staff sought to demonstrate the importance of the services they provide.

And those were only the latest instances of industrial action bringing the UK to a halt after a long winter in which thousands of public sector workers took to the picket line.

From nurses to civil servants, postal workers and driving instructors, working people have demanded salary increases in response to the sky-high rate of inflation and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Some of those disputes have since been resolved, most recently teachers belonging to Britain’s four major education unions voting to accept a 6.5 per cent pay rise in order to avert fresh school strikes due to take place this autumn.

However, many more of the standoffs threaten to rumble on amid little sign of progress.

Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the BMA, have urged Rishi Sunak’s administration to come forward with a fresh offer above the 5 per cent wage rise proposed so far to prevent what promises to be “the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHS’s history”.

“Even now the government can avert our action by coming to the table with a credible offer on pay restoration,” they said.

But common ground appears likely to remain elusive after health secretary Steve Barclay accused the BMA of “walking away” from the table.

RMT general-sectretary Mick Lynch has meanwhile told The Independent that further rail strikes are “fairly likely”this year so long as its talks with government negotiators remain in a state of deadlock.

Fresh strikes are also set to affect Gatwick Airport with over 230 workers expected to take part.

Unite regional officer Dominic Rothwell said: “The strike action is set to cause severe disruption throughout Gatwick Airport, but this dispute is totally of the employers’ own making, they have been given every opportunity to make our members a fair pay offer but have failed to do so.

“The companies need to stop prevaricating and make an offer which meets our members’ expectations.”

Here is a list of all of the walkouts that have been announced so far for August 2023.

All the national strike dates for August

Tuesday 1 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Wednesday 2 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Thursday 3 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Friday 4 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Saturday 5 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Monday 7 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Tuesday 8 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Wednesday 9 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Thursday 10 August

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

Friday 11 August

NHS junior doctors commence latest round of nationwide strikes.

Aslef overtime ban in effect.

First Manchester bus strikes.

St Mungo's charity staff wage strike.

Manchester Stagecoach strike.

Citizens advice strike in Hull and East Riding.

Saturday 12 August

NHS junior doctors strikes continue.

Aslef overtime ban in effect.