Christmas strikes: Brits told to brace for holiday MISERY as unions plot walkouts every day in December
James Manning
Brits are set for a winter of discontent in the run up to Christmas as industries see widespread strike action.
Rail workers, teachers nurses and driving instructors are just some of the thousands of people who will be staging industrial action.
Civil servants including National Highways employees and Border Force officers have also voted in favour of strikes.
They have not confirmed which dates their strikes will take place.
Rail workers, teachers nurses and driving instructors are just some of the thousands of people who will be staging industrial action.
James Manning
Ambulance workers in two more unions have voted to strike over pay, raising the prospect of widespread industrial action before Christmas.
The GMB said 10,000 of its ambulance members backed walkouts across nine trusts in England and Wales.
Unite later announced its NHS members in England, including ambulance staff, paramedics and other NHS workers, had also voted to strike.
Unison reported on Tuesday that its NHS members had voted to strike.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I’m hugely grateful for the hard work and dedication of NHS staff and deeply regret some will be taking industrial action – which is in nobody’s best interests as we approach a challenging winter.
“Our economic circumstances mean unions’ demands are not affordable – each additional 1% pay rise for all staff on the Agenda for Change contract would cost around £700 million a year.
“We’ve prioritised the NHS with record funding and accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full to give over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year, with those on the lowest salaries receiving an increase of up to 9.3%.
“This is on top of 3% last year when public-sector pay was frozen and wider government support with the cost of living.
“Our priority is keeping patients safe during any strikes and the NHS has tried and tested plans to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate.
“My door remains open to discuss with the unions ways we can make the NHS a better place to work.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay
Kirsty O'Connor
Firefighters from across the country are to stage a huge rally to mark the start of a ballot for strikes in a dispute over pay.
Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will travel to Westminster on December 6 for a demonstration and lobby of MPs.
Around one in eight businesses said they were impacted by strikes in October as industrial action picks up around the country amid soaring costs for workers.
New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested that 13% of companies think they were affected by industrial action during the month, with train strikes likely impacting companies the most.
Downing Street has urged public sector unions heading for a series of strikes to call off their “unnecessary” industrial action and return to the negotiating table.