Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Seren Morris

When are road workers striking and how will it affect Christmas travel?

Road workers are set to strike over Christmas and New Years

(Picture: Getty Images)

Road workers will strike over Christmas and New Year’s Eve amid ongoing industrial action in the public transport industry.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) announced that the National Highways employees, who plan, design, build, operate and maintain the country’s roads, will strike in a dispute over pay.

PCS Union said 74 per cent of members voted for strike action on a nearly 59 per cent turnout.

The union said the action “risks bringing the road network to a standstill” and will coincide with the ongoing rail strikes.

So when are road workers striking and how will it affect travel over the festive period?

When are road workers striking?

Road workers are striking for 12 days over December and January.

There will be strikes in the North-West, Yorkshire and Humber and the North-East on December 16 and 17.

Workers in London and the South-East will strike on December 22, 23, 24, and 25.

The West Midlands and South-West will be impacted by strikes on December 30 and 31.

There will be strikes on all national highways on January 3 and 4.

Finally, on January 6 and 7, workers in the East Midlands and eastern England will walk out.

Why are road workers striking?

Road workers are striking in a dispute over pay.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary at PCS, said: “We know our members’ action could inconvenience travellers who plan to visit their relatives over the festive period, but our members have been placed in this situation by a government that won’t listen to its own workforce.

“With the serious cost-of-living crisis, they deserve to be paid properly for the important work they do, keeping our roads running safe and free.

“The government is in the driving seat here – it’s in a position to stop these strikes by putting money on the table.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.