Timeline of escalating industrial action
Border Force workers are to launch a series of strikes over Christmas in a bitter dispute over pay, pensions and jobs.
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Your support makes all the difference.Border Force officials at airports are the latest group of workers to be planning strikes, as industrial action escalates in the weeks up to Christmas and into January.
The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said its members who check passports will walk out for several days in December.
Here are some of the strikes and ballots planned:
– December 7
Members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association and the NASUWT went on strike in 17 local authority areas.
– December 8
The teachers’ strike in Scotland will continue in the remaining 15 local authorities.
– December 9
Communication Workers Union (CWU) members at Royal Mail who collect, sort and deliver parcels and letters will strike and hold a huge rally in Westminster.
Bus drivers at Abellio in London will stage a 48-hour walkout.
– December 11
Royal Mail workers will stage a national strike again.
– December 13
Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members on Network Rail and 14 train operators to begin a 48-hour strike.
Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) members at Avanti West Coast will also begin 48-hour strike.
Civil servants in the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union to start a month-long strike, with workers in different agencies and departments walking out on different days.
The first day includes DVSA driving examiners, whose strike will start in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and staff in the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) customer service centre.
– December 14
RMT and TSSA train strikes to continue, affecting services across the UK.
Royal Mail workers will walk out on another national strike.
The DVSA strike continues for staff in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– December 15
Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will go on strike.
Bus workers with Abellio in London will stage another walkout.
Royal Mail workers to strike again.
The DVSA strike continues for staff in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– December 16
RMT rail workers to stage another 48-hour national strike.
The union will also see members working as security guards on Eurostar staging a 24-hour strike.
TSSA members who work for Avanti West Coast to stage another 48-hour walkout.
Ground handlers employed by private contractor Menzies at Heathrow Airport, who are members of Unite, will walk out from 4am for 72 hours.
Bus workers for Abellio in London to go on strike for 48 hours.
The DVSA strike continues for staff in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
PCS road strikes to begin with National Highways employees walking out in the North West, North East and Yorkshire.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– December 17
TSSA members who work for c2c to walk out.
Rail workers with the same union at Avanti West Coast will continue their strike.
The DVSA strike continues for staff in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
National Highways workers continue their walkout in the North West, North East and Yorkshire.
The RMT rail workers’ walkout continues.
Unite ground handlers at Heathrow continue their strike.
– December 18
RMT members working as security guards on Eurostar to stage another walkout.
Unite ground handlers at Heathrow continue their strike.
The DVSA strike continues for staff in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
– December 19
Staff working at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) start strike action. More than 200 PCS members in three DWP offices in Liverpool and one in Doncaster will walk out on dates from December 19 to 31 – although it is unclear which dates.
Unite members working for Highlands and Islands Airports will strike, affecting 11 small hubs in Scotland.
DVSA driving examiners to strike in the North West, Yorkshire and Humber and North Wales.
RPA staff resume their walkout.
– December 20
RCN members will stage another nurses’ strike.
The DVSA strike continues in the North West, Yorkshire and Humber and North Wales.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– December 21
Ambulance workers and other NHS staff will stage a strike co-ordinated by the GMB, Unison and Unite.
The DVSA strike continues in the North West, Yorkshire and Humber and North Wales.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– December 22
Railway cleaners across the country with the RMT union to launch a strike.
National Highways workers begin a walkout in London and the South East.
Unite members working for Highlands and Islands Airports will stage another strike.
RMT Eurostar security staff to stage another walkout.
The DVSA strike continues in the North West, Yorkshire and Humber and North Wales.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– December 23
Royal Mail workers will walk out in another day of national strike action.
The RMT railway cleaners’ national strike continues.
RMT Eurostar security staff to stage another walkout.
The National Highways workers’ strike continues in London and the South East.
The DVSA strike continues in the North West, Yorkshire and Humber and North Wales.
PCS members in the Border Force start a wave of strikes, including December 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31.
– December 24
RMT railway workers will stage another strike from 6pm on Christmas Eve.
Royal Mail workers to continue national strike action.
The DVSA strike continues in the North West, Yorkshire and Humber and North Wales.
– December 25
The RMT rail strike will continue, although no train services run on Christmas Day.
– December 26
The RMT rail strike will continue, meaning limited Boxing Day services are likely to be cancelled.
– December 27
The RMT rail strike continues until 6am.
– December 28
NHS staff in the GMB union will stage another strike.
The DVSA driving examiners’ strikes will start in the West Midlands, the Eastern region and the East Midlands
– December 29
The DVSA strike continues in the West Midlands, Eastern region and East Midlands.
– December 30
Road strikes by National Highways’ employees will begin in the West Midlands and South West.
The DVSA strike continues in the West Midlands, Eastern region and East Midlands.
– December 31
RMT railway cleaners will stage another strike.
Road strikes by National Highways employees will begin in the West Midlands and South West.
– January 1
National Highways workers to stage two-day action in all areas of the country.
The DVSA strike continues in the West Midlands, Eastern region and East Midlands.
– January 3
RPA staff will resume their walkout.
– January 4
The DVSA driving examiners’ strike starts in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West.
The RMT rail workers’ strike continues.
UK-wide National Highways strike continues.
RPA staff will continue their walkout.
– January 5
The DVSA strike continues in London, South East, South Wales and South West.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– January 6
RMT rail workers will stage another 48-hour strike.
National Highways workers to stage a two-day action in the East Midlands and eastern England.
The DVSA strike continues in London, South East, South Wales and South West.
RPA staff to continue their walkout.
– January 7
The RMT rail workers’ walkout continues.
National Highways workers will continue their strike in the East Midlands and eastern England.
The DVSA strike continues in London, South East, South Wales and South West.
– January 8
The DVSA strike continues in London, South East, South Wales and South West.
– January 9
The DVSA strike continues in London, South East, South Wales and South West.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– January 10
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teachers’ union will stage a national strike in primary schools, special schools and early years sites.
The DVSA strike continues in London, South East, South Wales and South West.
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– January 11
EIS will stage another national strike, in secondary schools and secondary special schools.
RPA staff will continue their walkout.
– January 12
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– January 13
RPA staff continue their walkout.
– January 16
EIS to stage a national strike for 16 consecutive days until February 2, which will see members in two local authorities strike each day.