Here's the industrial action planned for the coming days.
Following this week’s ‘Walkout Wednesday’, which saw junior doctors join teachers and Tube staff on picket lines up and down the country on Budget Day, more strike action is set continue into the forthcoming week.
Here’s is a list of the industrial action set to take place this week.
University staff
The University and College Union (UCU) is currently undertaking 18 days of strike. More than 150 universities are involved in the industrial action, which relates to pay and conditions, as well as disputes over pensions. Around 70,000 UCU members are walking out.
This week the affected dates are March 20, 21 and 22.
Trains
Another train strike is taking place today – March 18. RMT members employed by Network Rail had been due to strike on March 16 but had suspended the action while union members vote on the latest offer in the referendum. The vote concludes on March 20. The new offer includes a pay increase of 14.4 percent for the lowest paid staff and 9.2 percent for those on the highest salaries. There is an additional 1.1 percent on basic earnings, as well as increased payback. The RMT has said it will not be making recommendations on how members should vote on the offer.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “We will continue our campaign for a negotiated settlement on all aspects of the railway dispute.”
Strike action is also planned for March 30 and April 1.
Buses
National Express bus drivers in the West Midlands are striking on March 20. Unite the Union has warned that its members will continue to walk out each day until the dispute about pay is resolved.
The strike action that was scheduled to begin had been suspended to enable an improved offer to be balloted on by members. However, the strike action is now back on.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our members at National Express – attempts at union busting by the company will not change that. They will receive Unite’s complete and utter support during these strikes for a fair pay rise.”
Meanwhile, teaching unions and the government have agreed to hold ‘intensive talks’ on the pay and conditions of teachers, as well as on workload reduction. This follows a breakthrough on NHS pay, which resulted in strikes being suspended.
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward
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