Driving examiners and civil servants kick off a week of public sector Christmas strikes
Ahead of further planned strikes by NHS staff this week, Health Secretary Steve Barclay was told during a hospital visit that the government is inflicting 'terrible' damage to families suffering from an underfunded and under-resourced health service
Driving test examiners and civil servants have joined an escalating campaign of industrial action by public sector workers on Monday, kicking off a week of Christmas strikes.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) in Liverpool and Doncaster, who are employed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), will take action from Monday until Christmas Eve and again from December 29-31.
Driving examiners and local driving test managers working for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will also take action across north-west England and Yorkshire & Humber in a programme of rolling regional action.
It comes amid planned strikes by nurses, paramedics, and other NHS workers, as well as rail, maritime and transport (RMT) staff and UK border force workers in the countdown to Christmas.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The first week of our strikes has already caused disruption to farmers awaiting payments, learner drivers waiting to pass their tests and those using our roads – and it’s only going to get worse unless the Government puts some money on the table.
“Our members carry our important jobs, keeping the country running, and deserve much more than the 2% pay rise they’ve been offered.”
ITV News' Kathryn Samson reports on the political context around the pre-Christmas week of industrial action
Workers at National Highways will escalate action across England and Wales over the next few weeks, as will those at Border Force, where workers will strike in six airports from December 23.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We greatly value the work of our staff but the PCS union’s demands would cost the country an unaffordable £2.4 billion when the focus must be on bringing down inflation to ease the burden on households, protect the vulnerable and rebuild our economy.
“Benefits, the state pension and child maintenance payments are paid automatically and people who rely on that support will continue to receive it.”
On Tuesday Royal College of Nursing members will walk out again in a second national strike, with Thousands of ambulance workers and other NHS staff from the GMB, Unison and Unite unions due to walk out the following day.
Patricia Marquis, the England director for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said the union did not want protracted strikes but its mandate covered the next six months.
All category 1 calls (the most life-threatening such as cardiac arrest) will be responded to, while some ambulance trusts have agreed exemptions with unions for specific incidents within category 2 (serious conditions, such as stroke or chest pain).
Data collected by the NHS after last week’s nursing strike showed that 16,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries were cancelled and needed to be rescheduled in England – 54,000 less than the Government suggested.
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Across England, 9,999 staff were absent from work due to the strike.
The RCN, which is calling for a 5% above inflation pay rise, has vowed to stage a fresh wave of more severe strikes in January if ministers do not open talks.
But Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said the union should respect the independence of the NHS pay review body, which has set pay for nurses at about £1,400 more a year (at least a 4% rise).
Speaking on Monday during a visit to King’s College Hospital in London, he stated his opposition to a 19% pay rise for nurses, saying it was not “reasonable”.
He said there would be an impact on patients from strike action, adding: “And that’s why I’m calling on the trade unions to make good on their statements that they will protect those with life-threatening conditions and emergency responses, ensure we have the cover on Wednesday to respond to those calls.
“That’s what they’ve said publicly. But if, for example, they only allow staff to respond from the picket line that will add further delay to the response times, which is not in the patient’s interest.”
Downing Street has said that it is still not too late for unions to call off a series of planned strikes this week in the NHS and other public services.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We would expect, given this late stage, there to be some sort of disruption either way but it is still in the gift of the unions to step back and reconsider their approach.
“We are open to further talks if they are willing to have them. We believe we have taken a fair and reasonable approach throughout, including by accepting the pay body’s recommendation in full."
The spokesman said reports that Downing Street had blocked a proposal by Health Secretary Steve Barclay for a one-off payment to NHS staff were not accurate.
“I don’t think that it accurate. The Health and Social Care Secretary has been working very closely with the Prime Minister, as you’d expect, as indeed have all relevant secretaries of state, on our approach to these pay demands from unions,” the spokesman said.
“The whole Government is united in its view that the independent pay review bodies are the right way to set the terms and we have accepted them in full.”
Who is striking and when?
Nurses, paramedics, and NHS workers
December 20: Royal College of Nursing members will walk out again in a second national strike.
December 21: Thousands of ambulance workers and other NHS staff from the GMB, Unison and Unite unions will walk out in a dispute over pay and conditions.
December 28: Further strike action by paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff will be taken for 24 hours.
January 9, 2023: Junior doctors start voting on strikes.
Rail strikes
December 22/23: Another RMT strike on Eurostar.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and December 27: RMT members on Network rail to strike.
January 3/4: Another 48-hour RMT strike.
January 6/7: Another 48-hour RMT strike.
Border force and civil service workers
December 23-31: Border Force staff at several airports in the UK including Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick go on strike, likely severely impacting flights. They are working on December 27 as normal.
December 19-31: More than 200 members of the PCS, working in three DWP offices in Liverpool and one in Doncaster, to strike.
Royal Mail workers
December 14-27: Royal Mail workers will walk out on December 14, 15, 23 and 24, after staging strikes on December 9 and 11 too.