December strikes: Who is striking and what are their pay claims?
(6 days later)
Tens of thousands of workers have downed tools this year to request pay deals that keep up with the rising cost of living.
Thousands of teachers joined rallies across Scotland on 24 November
The public is having to deal with disruption from train and postal strikes, as well as closed schools, overflowing bins and gridlock in the courts.
Strikes have disrupted everything from train services to postal deliveries and teaching in schools.
There could be further strikes through the winter and next year, as doctors and civil servants are also in dispute with their employers.
More workers are expected to walk out, as demands grow for better working conditions and pay increases to keep up with rising prices.
Why are the strikes happening?
Nurses
The disputes are over working conditions, pensions and pay.
Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are set to strike on 15 December and 20 December
Prices are rising at over 11% per year, the fastest rate for 40 years. That means workers are seeing their living costs rising faster than their wages, leaving them worse off.
The Royal College of Nurses wants a rise of 5% above the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation - currently 14%
Why are prices rising so quickly?
The government in England says this year's pay award - a 4.75% average increase - is in line with the independent NHS Pay Review Body recommendation
Read more: What is nurses' strike about?
Rail workers
Rail workers first called strike days in June, with further walkouts planned across December and January
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) wants a pay offer reflecting the rising cost of living - and a guarantee of no compulsory job losses
Rail-industry bosses say changes need to be agreed to afford pay increases and modernise the railway
Read more: When are the next train strikes?
Royal Mail workers
Postal workers plan strikes on 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24 December
Deliveries are affected, with the last days for Christmas post now 12 December for second class and 16 December for first class
Royal Mail has offered a pay deal it says is worth up to 9% over 18 months - but with inflation at 11.1%, the Communication Workers Union wants more
The CWU also objects to proposed changes to working conditions, including compulsory Sunday working
Read more: How will Royal Mail strikes affect Christmas?
Teachers
Teachers in Scotland walked out on 24 November, with further strikes in December, January and February
A 6.85% increase for the lowest paid was rejected, with teachers arguing for 10%
Teaching unions in England and Wales are balloting members over pay, which could mean further strikes
Read more: How many schools will close?
University staff
Tens of thousands of staff at 150 UK universities walked out on three days in November
The University and College Union wants a pay rise worth either 2% above RPI inflation, or 12%, whichever is higher, pension benefits restored and "excessive workloads" tackled
An increase in pay "puts jobs at risk", the Universities and College Employers Association says
Read more: Will my lectures be cancelled?
Which workers are allowed to go on strike?
Which workers are allowed to go on strike?
Employees in many industries belong to trade unions, organisations that represent their interests to management, and negotiate on their behalf over pay, jobs and working conditions.
What's the gap between public and private sector pay?
When those unions have not been able to get a pay deal they feel is fair, they can ask their members to vote on whether to take industrial action.
Baggage handlers
At the most extreme, this means going on strike where staff refuse to do their jobs.
Ground-handling staff for Menzies Aviation at Heathrow Airport will strike for 72 hours from 16 December
Workers can also take less drastic measures to put pressure on their employers, such as refusing to do overtime. In some professions basic services must be maintained. Doctors and nurses won't completely stop work as that would put lives at risk.
Airlines likely to be affected are Air Canada, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air Portugal, Austrian Airlines, Qantas, Egypt Air, Aer Lingus and Finnair
Industrial disputes have been rising since the pandemic.
The Unite union says cargo workers were offered a backdated 9.5% pay increase and a further 1% from January 2023, but baggage handlers have been offered only a flat-rate increase and face a real-terms pay cut
In 2019, on average 19,500 days a month were lost to strike action. In July 2022, the figure was 87,600, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Postal workers and strike action protesters outside the Mount Pleasant Royal Mail sorting office
Driving examiners
Who is striking?
Driving examiners will hold rolling strikes from 13 December to 16 January
The most high-profile strikes include:
The Public and Commercial Services Union is calling for a 10% pay rise, better pensions, job security and no cuts to redundancy terms
Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will strike on 15 and 20 December in what is set to be their biggest walkout in the NHS's history. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says emergency care will still be staffed.
The government says the strike might affect driving tests but not theory tests
Paramedics, call handlers and other staff at half of England's ambulance services have also voted to take strike action over pay. Unison, one of three unions that represent ambulance staff, says action is likely before Christmas. However, Unison members at more than 200 other NHS trusts did not back strikes and rules guaranteeing emergency care may limit the strike impact.
Read more: Driving examiners across UK to strike over pay
Train travel has been disrupted by a series of strikes since June. Members of three rail unions - the RMT, the TSSA, and Aslef - are taking part in a series of one-day strikes which have brought parts of the rail network to a virtual standstill. More strike dates have been announced in the run-up to Christmas, and disruption could continue for another six months.
Workers at Royal Mail have held eight strikes since August and have more days of action scheduled before Christmas, including Christmas Eve.
Members of the University and College Union, which represents staff in higher education, walked out on 24, 25 and 30 November, affecting students at 150 universities.
Most schools in Scotland closed on 24 November, when members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) walked out in the first full strike in Scottish schools for nearly 40 years. The EIS wants a 10% pay rise. Several further strikes have been announced for December, January and February.
Airline ground handlers began three days of strike action on 18 November.
Dock workers at Liverpool ended their action after reaching a pay deal. But a dispute at Felixstowe remains unresolved.
Who else is considering industrial action?
Who else is considering industrial action?
About 100,000 civil servants have voted to strike across different government departments. Driving examiners and rural payment officers will launch the first wave of civil service action, holding rolling strikes from 13 December to 16 January. The Public and Commercial Services union is calling for a 10% pay rise.
Paramedics, call handlers and other staff at half of England's ambulance services have voted to strike over pay
Junior doctors in England, represented by the British Medical Association, are planning to hold a ballot in January on industrial action over a pay deal which will give them 2% this year.
About 100,000 civil servants have voted to strike across different government departments
Some 350,000 health workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland belonging to Unison began a vote on industrial action on 27 October. A vote in Scotland was suspended following a new offer from employers.
Junior doctors in England, represented by the British Medical Association, are planning to hold a ballot in January, over a pay deal which will give them 2% this year
The NASUWT and NEU teaching unions are between them balloting more than 400,000 teachers and support staff across the UK. The ballots close in January.
Three days of strikes, involving 2,000 Metroline bus drivers in London, have been called off while a pay offer is considered
Have any disputes been resolved?
Some workers have settled disputes:
Criminal barristers in England and Wales accepted a 15% pay rise in October
Refuse workers in Eastbourne negotiated a deal worth over 11%
2,000 Arriva bus drivers in London won an 11% pay deal
Union bosses of BT workers agreed a pay deal worth up to 16% for some workers
How many days have been lost to strikes?
In September, 205,000 working days were lost to strikes, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The latest monthly total remains significantly less than the 11,716,000 days lost in September 1979 - the month in which strikes peaked during the "winter of discontent".
Does the public support strike action?
Does the public support strike action?
A number of polls have asked whether the general public supports strikes.
A poll at the end of October by Savanta ComRes found that 60% generally support workers taking industrial action, with 33% opposed.
A poll at the end of October by Savanta ComRes found that 60% generally support workers taking industrial action, with 33% opposed.
Asked about strikes over pay and conditions, support varied widely between different industries, with nurses and teachers attracting the most.
Asked about strikes over pay and conditions, support varied widely between different industries.
In the summer, polls on the rail strike from Ipsos and Opinium found roughly equal numbers supporting and opposing it.
What do employers say?
Staff wages are a major cost for most businesses and some of the companies which are in dispute with their workers say they do not have enough money to give pay rises.
Royal Mail and the rail companies say they want to agree new working practices alongside a pay award, which has proved another point of dispute.
Doctors, nurses, and the striking lawyers are paid by the government. Their salary is set by a review process which published its findings in July, presenting millions of workers with below-inflation pay rises.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned of a "profound economic crisis" with "difficult decisions to come" - which will make it hard to make a more generous pay offer to public sector workers.
The Bank of England worries that if workers win big pay rises, their employers will in turn have to put prices up for customers. That pushes up inflation, causing workers to request bigger pay rises, creating a "wage-price" spiral which could make it even harder to bring inflation down.
However, some workers are in a strong position as unemployment is extremely low. There are more vacancies than people looking for work and many businesses are short of workers.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) argues that on average workers earn less than they did in 2008 - the longest period without an increase in earnings for 200 years.
Nurses join a cost of living protest in June
What do workers earn?
Pay varies hugely between industries, job roles and how senior workers are.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics found that railway workers earn an average of £43,000. Train drivers earn the most - averaging £59,000 - while travel assistants earn £33,000.
Nurses in England earn between £27,000 and £55,000, with the average at around £32,000 according to the RCN.
In the last school year, state school classroom teachers in England were paid an average of £38,982, £39,009 in Wales and £40,026 in Scotland. The average head teacher's salary in England last year was £74,095, and £57,117 for other senior leaders.
What's the gap between public and private sector pay?
Has anyone managed to get big pay rises?
A number of disputes have been resolved this year, with some workers being awarded pay rises of 10% or more.
Criminal barristers in England and Wales accepted a 15% pay rise in October, after a strike which began in June.
Refuse workers in Eastbourne, negotiated a deal worth over 11% in January after going on strike.
Train drivers in Scotland agreed a 5% pay deal in June.
2,000 bus drivers in North London won an 11% pay deal after threatening a strike.
480 bus drivers in Kent won a pay deal worth nearly 14% after six days of strike action.
In July BA staff at Heathrow accepted a pay deal worth 13% after threatening to strike.
Union bosses of BT workers agreed a pay deal worth up to 16% for some workers in November., after several days of strike action earlier in the year.
