Strike action: Schools closed and trains disrupted across Wales in biggest strike in a decade

Picket lines are outside schools, train stations, universities and Government departments across Wales today. Credit: ITV Wales

Schools, trains, universities and government services across Wales are set to be disrupted today (Wednesday, February 1), as the UK faces the largest scale strike day in over a decade.

Those walking out include teachers, train drivers, civil servants and university staff across five unions.

Unions are in a range of disputes, including over pay, working conditions, redundancy terms and pensions.

List of strikes in Wales today

  • Teachers and school staff in Wales who are members of the National Education Union (NEU)

  • Train drivers who are members of the train drivers' unions Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) and National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT)

  • Civil servants belonging to the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) union, which includes members at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea, the Senedd, Natural Resources Wales and National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth

  • University staff in the Universities and College Union (UCU), which could see walkouts at Bangor, Cardiff, Swansea and Aberystwyth

Schools

Hundreds of thousands of pupils will be impacted today, as most schools in Wales are set to be affected by the teacher walkouts.

The National Education Union (NEU) said the strike action is both about pay and working conditions.

Alice Parry, a Religion, Values and Ethics teacher, started teaching in 2014, and believes working conditions for teachers have only got more difficult

It comes as teachers have told ITV Wales that education in Wales is in "crisis."

One teacher from Ebbw Vale said that some staff are struggling to pay for the necessities, and can't justify staying in the profession amid the cost of living crisis and an unsustainable workload.

NEU have already rejected a 5% pay offer, which it said amounts to a pay cut due to inflation.

Unions also rejected the offer of a one-off payment from the Welsh Government.

NUT Wales Secretary David Evans told ITV Wales that he will be urging Welsh Government officials in his meeting with them today (Wednesday) to commit to more funding for teachers

A Welsh Government spokesperson has previously said: “We have held constructive meetings with unions and these will continue.

"We want to reassure learners, parents and carers that we are working with partners to resolve the current dispute and that we understand the strength of feeling amongst the education workforce.

“We are working in social partnership with unions to explore a way to resolve the current dispute.”

A picket line formed outside Llanishen High School in Cardiff this morning Credit: ITV Wales

Civil Service

Civil servants belonging to the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are striking across Wales today, including staff at Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea, the Senedd, Natural Resources Wales and National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.

PCS members say that they are striking over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security in the public and civil service.

Richard Lonergan, PCS Branch Secretary for the Senedd Commission, told ITV Wales that he wants to show solidarity to other sectors striking today

Universities

UCU, which represents university academics, lecturers, researchers and more across Wales, are also leading strikes of its members today. The action is over pay, working conditions and pensions.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "Staff aren't asking for much. They want a decent pay rise, secure employment and for devastating pension cuts to be reversed. These demands are reasonable and deliverable by a sector which has over £40bn in reserves."

Some of the universities where staff have been picketing include Swansea University, Cardiff University, Aberystwyth University and Bangor University.

In the pension dispute, UCU is demanding employers reverse pension cuts and restore benefits.

Trains

Members of train drivers' unions ASLEF and RMT will also walk out today over a long-running dispute about pay and conditions.

This affects train operators like Great Western Railway, which warns that it is running "extremely reduced" services and some parts of the network will have "no service at all."

Transport for Wales (TfW) is not involved in the industrial action of those unions, but says its services are likely to be "extremely busy".

It urges people to plan ahead for their journeys.

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