Nurse says she'll strike after government response to union action

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The UK faces a winter of discontent between late 2022 and early 2023, with unions across the country preparing for industrial action. Inflation, recession and other cost of living difficulties have left many workers struggling and short-changed, with many companies proving less than amenable to pay rise requests. Strikes will ripple across multiple sectors without a resolution, many hitting before Christmas when the country is at its busiest.

Which unions are planning strikes this winter?

Most of 2022 has proven strike-heavy, with rail workers leading the charge through summer.

Many of the disputes within the industry remain unresolved, meaning trade unions representing rail workers have additional action planned through winter.

They aren’t alone, as NHS workers and postal staffers are planning to follow their lead.

Rail strikes

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union rejected a recent pay offer from the negotiating Rail Delivery Group (RDG) over the weekend.

General secretary Mick Lynch said the offer did not “meet any of our criteria for securing a settlement on long-term job security, a decent pay rise and protecting working conditions”.

The union has scheduled an urgent meeting today to hammer out a resolution, but without one, four separate 48-hour strikes will rock the UK’s rail network between December and January.

The strikes will cover the following dates:

• December 13 to 14
• December 16 to 17
• January 3 to 4
• January 6 to 7

NHS strikes

Nursing staff working in 44 of 219 NHS trusts have voted to strike in mid-December.

Approximately 100,000 nurses with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will walk out next week.

Their first strike day is on Thursday, December 15, with another following on Tuesday, December 20.

Nurses have called for a pay rise of five percent over inflation following a “gradual erosion” in pay.

The Government has claimed this is “not deliverable”.

Postal strikes

Postal workers with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are locked in disputes with Royal Mail over pay, jobs and conditions.

The union notified the Royal Mail of six new strike dates that would impact services in the run-up to Christmas.

The first strikes rocked the sector on Thursday, December 1, with the others to follow without a resolution.

Other dates will ensure disruption just days before Christmas this year.

Royal Mail workers will walk out on the following dates:

• Friday, December 9
• Sunday, December 11
• Wednesday, December 14
• Thursday, December 15
• Friday, December 23
• Saturday, December 24

Civil service strikes

Civil servants with the Public and Commercial Services union have threatened to strike.

They are yet to provide dates following successful ballots in Whitehall last month.

The union hopes to support a 10 percent pay claim, while the Prospect Union, which also represents some Government staffers, will soon hold a consultative ballot.

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