As spring’s milder weather draws in, we are all hoping that the so-called ‘winter of discontent’ of the past few months will come to a close. But unfortunately, the UK is still in a cost-of-living crisis. What’s more, rail workers and teachers are feeling undervalued, and junior doctors are downright exhausted.
After February saw the country’s largest walkouts in over a decade, workers remain unsatisfied and most professions involved in last month’s strikes have confirmed more in March. Despite the inevitable disruption, many of those walking out are still enjoying support from the rest of the public. As the strikes look set to continue for the foreseeable, here’s everything you need to know.
Who is on strike?
March 1
Teachers who are members of the Educational Institution of Scotland, the NASUWT and the Scottish Secretary Teachers Association will walk out, affecting thousands of schools in Scotland. Nurses at more than 120 NHS employers in England will also begin action, starting at 6am and lasting 48 hours.
March 2
Teachers belonging to the National Education Union in Wales and the south of England are striking.
March 3
Railway engineering workers belonging to the RMT will go on strike from 10pm until 9.59am on March 5.
March 6
Around 10,000 workers belonging to the GMB union in England and Wales are taking industrial action. These include paramedics, care assistants, emergency call handlers and ambulance drivers.
Driving test centres in London and south-east England will be impacted by walkouts from driving instructors belonging to the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS).
March 8
Paramedics and ambulance workers who are members of Unison are taking industrial action. Many will be on strike for the first time, including those from Great Ormond Street Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
March 9
South-west England and Wales will be affected by driving instructor strikes for two days.
March 10
There will be another walkout for rail engineer workers who will return to work on March 12.
March 13
Junior doctors in England are striking for 72 hours after 98 percent of ballot votes were cast in favour of strike action. They account for over 40 percent of the medical workforce so widespread disruption is expected.
They are expected to be joined by A&E and cancer ward staff.
March 14
Junior doctor strike continues.
March 15
100,000 civil servants from more than 120 government departments and agencies are walking out in hopes of exerting ‘significant pressure’ on the government. Members of the PCS union will be taking action over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.
London Underground drivers who are members of Aslef will strike for 24 hours over pensions and working arrangements, which is expected to impact the entire Underground network.
Strikes by NEU members will impact schools and sixth-form colleges across England and Wales.
Final day of junior doctor walkout.
March 16
Rail services running into Scotland and Wales from England are likely to be affected by RMT union members striking from 14 train operators. Union members of Network Rail will also strike and subsequently launch a ban on overtime.
Teachers in England and Wales will continue industrial action.
Higher education staff belonging to the University and College Union are striking. Members from 83 different universities will be taking part.
March 17
Network rail RMT strike continues as rail engineering workers walk out until March 19.
University strikes continue.
March 18
RMT strike continues.
March 20
GMB members including paramedics and ambulance drivers resume industrial action.
RMT rail workers to strike again.
Driving instructor strikes in the midlands, east of England and parts of London.
March 23
Driving instructors in north-west England and Yorkshire are walking out for two days.
March 27
North-east England and Scotland will be affected by two days of DVLA strikes.
March 30
RMT strike will affect train services around England and going into Wales and Scotland.
What do strikers want?
It varies according to profession, but broadly speaking, strikers are after improved working conditions and salary increases to keep up with rising prices.
The joint general secretaries of the NEU said: ‘Teachers have lost 23 percent in real terms since 2010, and support staff 27 percent over the same period. The average 5 percent pay rise for teachers this year is some 7 percent behind inflation. In the midst of a cost of living crisis, that is an unsustainable situation.’
Dr Naru Narayanan, president of the Hospitals Consultants and Specialists Association, said: ‘Junior doctors have held together patient care amid a spiralling staffing crisis. In return for this huge emotional, mental and physical toll, they’ve been subjected to a decade of real-terms pay cuts totalling over 26 percent. Enough is enough.’
The UK government insists that due to the country’s current economic state, the money required to satisfy workers’ demands is not available.
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