Mark Harper trying to ‘encourage’ deal to avoid rail strikes
Striking workers are in the “fight for their lives for the very NHS itself,” a union leader has said after further Christmas walkouts were announced.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “These strikes are a stark warning – our members are taking a stand to save our NHS from this government.
“Patients’ lives are already at risk but this government is sitting on the sidelines, dodging its responsibility to sort out the crisis that it has created.
Thousands of ambulance workers and other NHS staff are to strike on December 21 in a dispute over pay, unions have said.
The GMB, Unison and Unite unions are co-ordinating industrial action across England and Wales after accusing the government of ignoring pleas for a decent wage rise.
Unison said its strike, involving paramedics, emergency care assistants, ambulance technicians and other 999 crew members, will run from noon to midnight.
Nurses strikes: Full list of NHS hospitals where 100,000 staff have voted for industrial action
One hundred thousand nursing staff are set to go on strike next month, the Royal College of Nursing has confirmed.
The RCN has released the list of trusts impacted by the historic action, with 44 out of 219 NHS trusts in England voting in favour of walkouts.
In Wales, staff in six out of seven health boards and all six trusts in Northern Ireland will also face strike action.
The RCN would not confirm exactly how many staff in each trust had voted for strike action, however workers have until the day of the strike to decide whether they not work and will join the industrial action.
Nursing staff working outside of hospitals, such as those in commissioning organisations called integrated care boards, have also voted to take action.
The union is set to hold its first strike day on Thursday, 15 December and its second on Tuesday 20 December.
Eleanor Noyce7 December 2022 02:00
Nurses, trains and Royal Mail: Every strike planned in run up to Christmas
As inflation has climbed steadily throughout the year, workers have seen rising prices eroding their earnings – just as employers have been trying to make savings or modernise working practices to cope with increasing costs.
The result? Clashes over pay, redundancies, pensions and terms and conditions.
A new “winter of discontent” had begun even before Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement on 17 November, which left householders everywhere feeling even worse off.
These are the professions and industries for which strike dates have already been announced:
Eleanor Noyce7 December 2022 01:00
“Our duty as firefighters is to save lives – that’s why we’re voting to strike”, writes Matt Wrack
Firefighters and control staff are balloting for strike action. This is why.
Strike action is always a last resort, but we are left with no other option. Many firefighters and emergency fire control staff are struggling to pay their bills. Some are having to go to foodbanks to feed their families. It is an utterly disgraceful state of affairs. We can’t go on like this.
Members of the Fire Brigades Union worked through the pandemic, continuing to attend their workplaces. Doing that meant taking on additional personal risk to try and help others. Firefighters also took on extra duties to try and aide the Covid response. That included delivering food to the vulnerable and moving the deceased. They were clapped as key workers by the prime minister and others.
Eleanor Noyce6 December 2022 23:58
Royal Mail strike: Every date in December 2022
Royal Mail workers will stage strikes this month and next in an escalating row over pay, jobs and conditions.
The Communications Workers Union (CWU) formally notified Royal Mail of the November strikes last month and confirmed six new strike dates in December on November 17.
The postal service apologised to customers, saying that though it had “well-developed contingency plans” it is unable to “fully replace the daily efforts of our frontline workforce”.
“We’ll be doing what we can to keep services running, but we are sorry this planned strike action is likely to cause you some disruption,” the company said on the website.
Here’s everything you need to know about strikes by Royal Mail staff.
Eleanor Noyce6 December 2022 22:46
There could be a sexist reason you don’t support the nurses’ strike, writes Mandu Reid
When we think of industrial action in the UK, what comes to mind is coal miners, transport workers and posties industries that are overwhelmingly dominated by men. Women aren’t expected to strike. It’s just not ladylike.
The industries where women dominate are still largely about caring for others. From social care and childcare, to education and even hospitality (the literal definition of which means “generous and friendly treatment of guests” including, presumably, the ones that grope you).
Eleanor Noyce6 December 2022 22:02
Scottish teachers and London bus workers prepare to strike on 7 December
Members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association and the NASUWT are set to strike in 17 local authority areas on 7 December.
London bus workers at Abellio will also start a two-day walkout.
On 8 December, the teachers’ strike in Scotland will continue in the remaining 15 local authorities.
Eleanor Noyce6 December 2022 21:30
Train strikes: Every date in December and January 2023
Rail passengers face severe travel disruption over Christmas and the New Year as workers stage a series of 48-hour strikes in December and January in the long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.
The RMT union has revealed that more than 40,000 workers across Network Rail and 14 train operating companies will stage a series of 48-hour walk-outs.
Industrial action will take place on 13, 14, 16 and 17 December and on 3, 4, 6 and 7 January.
On Monday it announced further strike dates to take place over the key Christmas period, with members walking out from 6pm on 24 December until 7am on 27 December. Most trains do not run on 25 and 26 December anyway, but those aiming to travel by rail to see loved ones either side of Christmas Day will be affected.
Eleanor Noyce6 December 2022 20:02
Army could be drafted in to deal with NHS strikes, says NHS Confederation chief executive
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the Army could be used to help provide some services after ambulance workers and other NHS staff confirmed strike plans for December 21.
Mr Taylor told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme that the day of the strike would “feel like a weekend or a bank holiday”, but acknowledged the Army could be drafted in.
“I think it rather depends on the conversations that do need to take place now about how this action will impact.
“Clearly, if there is any risk of not being able to provide emergency services it is likely the Army would have to be mobilised in those circumstances.”
He said the unions are trying to strike a balance between ensuring emergency care is protected while also making an “impact”.
There is “no point taking industrial action if you don’t have an impact with that industrial action”, he acknowledged.
Eleanor Noyce6 December 2022 18:48
Decision to call off strikes ahead of Christmas ‘rests with the unions’, Downing Street says
Downing Street said the decision to call off strikes ahead of Christmas “rests with the unions” when asked how much hope remains in Government that industrial action by the RMT can be averted.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “That decision rests with the unions and their members.
“We would encourage the members of the RMT to follow the lead of the TSSA, who have recognised that this is a fair and generous offer and are calling off their December strikes and putting the offer to their members.
“So, as I say, we think this is the right offer in the circumstances, noting, as I say, the impact that double-digit pay rises would have on the inflation.”
Pressed on whether that means there is some hope remaining, he said: “Like I say, it rests with the unions.”
Eleanor Noyce6 December 2022 18:45
Government allowing strikes to go ahead to ‘scapegoat’ nurses on NHS performance, Wes Streeting says
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting claimed the Government had a “disgusting” and “dangerous” plan to allow strikes to go ahead to “scapegoat” nurses on forthcoming NHS performance.
Speaking during Labour’s Opposition Day Commons debate on the NHS workforce, he stated: “Why on earth are they not sitting round the table and conducting serious negotiations?
“I will tell you why – they know that patients are going to suffer this winter, they don’t have a plan to fix it, so instead of acting to improve care for patients and accept responsibility, they want to use nurses as a scapegoat in the hope that they avoid the blame.
“We can see it coming a mile off. It is a disgusting plan. It is dangerous. And it won’t work. And if I’m wrong, perhaps members opposite could explain why the Government is not trying to prevent the strikes from going ahead”, he told the Commons.
Eleanor Noyce6 December 2022 18:00
Kaynak: briturkish.com