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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Lorna Hughes

The strikes set to cause more disruption in days and weeks ahead

Industrial action in different sectors is continuing to cause disruption across the UK in 2023. Services from transport to health are being hit by walkouts this month and beyond.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) across England will walk out on Wednesday (January 18) and Thursday. (January 19) The union has warned that if progress is not made in negotiations by the end of January the next set of strikes will include all eligible members in England for the first time.

GMB leaders will meet on Monday (January 16) to decide whether to call more strikes among their ambulance members because of the lack of progress in talks. Any decision is likely to be announced later in the week.

Meanwhile the National Education Union (NEU) and school leaders union NAHT will announce the result of ballots for strikes over pay. The NEU announcement will be made on Monday, and the union will have to give two weeks' notice of any industrial action.

A ballot of members of the NASUWT teachers union last week failed to reach the 50% turnout threshold, although nine in 10 of those who did vote backed strikes.

A strike will also be held on Wednesday by Unison members at the Environment Agency in a dispute over pay.

Here are some of the strikes already announced over the next few weeks across different parts of the UK:

January 16

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is to stage a national strike for 16 consecutive days until February 2, which will see members in two local authorities strike each day. London bus workers at Abellio will go on strike.

Two teaching unions, the National Education Union (NEU) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), will announce the results of their ballots. This comes after 90% of members in England and Wales at another teaching union, NASUWT, voted for strikes over pay but the turnout was 42% – eight percentage points below the legal threshold.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union on the picket line at Gatwick (PA)

January 18

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members in England will strike.

January 19

London bus workers at Abellio will go on strike.

RCN members in England will continue their strike.

January 23

Unison members working for five ambulance services in England will stage another walkout. Unite ambulance workers will also strike.

January 25

London bus workers at Abellio will go on strike.

January 26

London bus workers at Abellio will continue their strike.

Physiotherapists will strike in a dispute over pay and staffing.

February 1

A strike by 100,000 civil servants will go ahead after a meeting with the Government was described as a “total farce” by the PCS union.

February 6

The RCN has indicated that its next set of strikes in England – involving double the number of nurses than at their previous pickets – will take place on February 6, though this is not confirmed.

February 9

Physiotherapists will continue their strike.

February to March

More than 70,000 staff at 150 universities across the UK will strike for 18 days between February and March in disputes over pay, conditions and pensions. The precise dates are expected to be confirmed next week.

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