The second ‘winter of discontent’ appears to be underway, as new strikes for a variety of essential services continue to be announced. As we enter December, train strikes are set to paralyse the country, and bus strikes in the capital have already lasted several days. Nurses will also strike shortly before Christmas, and ambulance workers have declared their intention to strike. Meanwhile, the postal service is set to be disrupted as Royal Mail employees strike over pay. It can be difficult to keep track of all the different services available. So we has compiled a comprehensive list of all the upcoming train, bus, nurse, ambulance, and Royal Mail strikes. Train and bus strikes have been going on for a while, and there are currently six different sets of industrial action on the table over pay disputes. These include two sets of bus strikes led by Unite: ten days of strikes on Abellio London’s TfL bus routes and seven days on Metroline’s TfL bus routes, with three overlapping days affecting 132 London routes, or one in every five routes. On the trains, Aslef and RMT are planning two rail strikes in response to a National Rail dispute over pay offers and proposed railway reforms across the UK, which may include the closure of all ticket offices in London. Then there’s the ongoing disruption at Heathrow Airport, specifically its supply chain and logistics workers, who have been on strike over pay disputes. The sixth is a long-running Woolwich Ferry dispute over a pay offer. Here are all of the upcoming train and bus strikes you should be aware of: Strikes on Abellio London and Metroline bus routes on Thursday, December 1. Strikes on Abellio London and Metroline bus routes on Friday, December 2. Saturday, December 3 – Strikes on Abellio London and Metroline bus routes. There is no Woolwich Ferry. There will be no Woolwich Ferry on Sunday, December 4th. Metroline bus route strike on Thursday, December 8th. Friday, December 9 – Strikes on Abellio London and Metroline bus routes. Abellio London bus route strike on Saturday, December 10th. There is no Woolwich Ferry. There will be no Woolwich Ferry on Sunday, December 11. Tuesday, December 13 – RMT rail strike will disrupt most London trains. Wednesday, December 14 – RMT-led rail strike will disrupt most London trains. Metroline bus route strike on Thursday, December 15th. Friday, December 16 – RMT-led rail strike will disrupt most London trains. Strikes on Abellio London and Metroline bus routes Saturday, December 17 – RMT rail strike will disrupt most London trains. Strike on the Abellio London bus route. There is no Woolwich Ferry. There will be no Woolwich Ferry on Sunday, December 18. No Woolwich Ferry on Saturday, December 24. No Woolwich Ferry on Sunday, December 31. Strikes by nurses and ambulances The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has now announced the locations of the December 15 and December 20 strikes. London Great Ormond Street Hospital, Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital, Imperial College, NHS North Central London ICB, and The London Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust are among the trusts affected. The strike is expected to be the country’s largest ever, with up to 100,000 nursing staff walking out over pay. According to the RCN, unless negotiations are held, the number of NHS employers affected by strike will increase in January. Services deemed ‘life-saving’ and ’emergency-type care’ will continue on strike days, according to RCN general secretary Pat Cullen. Elective treatment, outpatient care, and other healthcare services, on the other hand, are likely to be impacted. The following hospitals are managed by the NHS trusts in London that are on strike: Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Guy’s and St Thomas’ Evelina London Children’s Hospital Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital (Royal Brompton) Charing Cross Hospital (Guys and St Thomas’) Harefield Hospital (Imperial College NHS Trust) Chelsea and Queen Charlotte’s Hospitals (Imperial College NHS Trust) Hammersmith and Fulham Hospital (Imperial College NHS Trust) The St. Mary’s Hospital (Imperial College NHS Trust) Western Eye Institute (Imperial College NHS Trust) The Royal Marsden Hospital in London (Chelsea, London, and Sutton) Unison has also announced that ambulance workers will strike over pay and staffing levels before Christmas. The exact strike date and areas affected have yet to be determined, but thousands of 999 call handlers, ambulance technicians, paramedics, and their colleagues working for ambulance services in London and across the country are set to go on strike. Royal Mail goes on strike Strikes at Royal Mail have already begun, with Christmas mail expected to be affected. On Wednesday, November 30, Thursday, December 1, Friday, December 9, and Sunday, December 11, CWU members who collect, sort, and deliver parcels and letters will strike in London and across the country. When there is a national strike, Royal Mail says it will deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked 24 parcels as possible, will prioritise the delivery of Covid test kits and medical prescriptions where possible, and will not deliver letters unless they are Special Delivery.
