Thousands of rail workers are to stage a second 48-hour strike this week, heaping more misery on commuters who have had to navigate industrial action and horrendous weather conditions.

More than 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out on Friday and Saturday, with further strikes pencilled in later this month and early January.

Passengers have been urged by Network Rail to only travel ‘if necessary’ on strike dates.

The roads could also be brought to a standstill, with members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at National Highways, who plan, design, build, operate and maintain the country’s roads, taking part in a series of staggered strikes beginning on December 16.

Elsewhere, bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London will also go on strike for 48 hours beginning on Friday.

Thousands of Environment Agency workers in England are also taking industrial action, including stopping attending incidents such as floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping.

Members of the Unison union will be working to rule on different days up to and over Christmas in a dispute over pay.

This means they will only work their contracted hours, taking all scheduled breaks and rest in full between shifts, and will not accept any unpaid work at this busy time of year for the agency.

In addition, employees will refuse to volunteer for ‘on call’ cover for several days.

Driving examiners and Rural Payments Agency workers also remain on strike.

A planned strike from Friday by ground handling staff at Heathrow Airport was called off on Thursday.

Around 400 members of Unite employed by private contractors Menzies were due to walk out for 72 hours from 4am in a dispute over pay.

Talks were held on Thursday between Unite and Menzies.

The union said that during the talks Menzies made an improved pay offer and as a ‘gesture of goodwill’ Unite suspended the planned strike action.

Strike dates from now until February

Services ranging from postal deliveries to health services are to be hit by strikes from now going into February.

Here are some of the strikes planned:

– 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.

Bus workers with Abellio in London will continue their strike.

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.

Unison workers at the Environment Agency refuse to provide ‘on call’ cover for unexpected incidents.

– 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.

A man walks near a sign with strike-disruption information at London Bridge station (Picture: Reuters)

– 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.

Unison workers at the Environment Agency refuse to provide ‘on call’ cover for unexpected incidents.

– December 21

Ambulance workers and other NHS staff will stage a strike in England co-ordinated by the GMB, Unison and Unite. Scottish members of Unison and Unite reached an agreement and called off their action.

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.

Unison workers at the Environment Agency refuse to provide ‘on call’ cover for unexpected incidents.

– 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 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.

Unison staff at Environment Agency refuse to volunteer attend incidents.

– December 25

The RMT rail strike will continue, although no train services run on Christmas Day.

Unison staff at Environment Agency refuse to volunteer to attend incidents.

– December 26

The RMT rail strike will continue, meaning limited Boxing Day services are likely to be cancelled.

Unison staff at Environment Agency refuse to volunteer to attend incidents until 9am.

– 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.

Unison staff at Environment Agency refuse to volunteer to attend incidents.

– 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.

Unison staff at Environment Agency refuse to volunteer to attend incidents.

– January 2

Unison staff at Environment Agency refuse to volunteer attend incidents until 9am.

– 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, joined by the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, 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.

It comes after Royal College of Nursing (RCN) staff across England, Wales and Northern Irelandwalked out for the first time in its 106-year history.

Health minister Maria Caulfield said around 70,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries will be lost in England due to the strike. Thousands more will be affected in Northern Ireland and Wales.

Downing Street rejected calls from the former head of the independent pay review body for a possible rethink of the pay award in light of soaring inflation.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘Certainly no plans to tell the independent body what to do.’

Meanwhile, the bitter dispute between Royal Mail workers and bosses over pay and conditions is unlikely to be resolved before Christmas, a union boss has said.

Andy Furey, acting deputy general secretary of Communication Workers Union (CWU), which has been representing the thousands of posties going on strike in the last four months, said there are plans to ballot members well into the new year for more industrial action.

He said CWU’s recent offer to Royal Mail this week was ‘thrown back in our face’ and there are ‘no further talks planned at this stage’.

His comments came as hundreds of CWU members and several MSPs descended on Holyrood on Thursday to demand Nicola Sturgeon supports their ongoing fight for a new deal.

They joined more than 100,000 posties who are out on strike across the UK on Thursday in the 16th day of industrial action by Royal Mail workers since August.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article