Railway services, airport staff, train drivers, universities and junior doctors are all set to go on strike during the month of September.
The set of strikes comes shortly after RMT and ASLEF train strikes, junior doctors and airport ground workers went on strike in August.
Here is a full list of all the strikes, when they are happening and how they will affect you.
Junior doctors and consultant strikes
Junior doctor and consultants members will be striking together for the first time in history in September and October
NHS strikes have cost an estimated £1 billion while impacted 835,000 appointments across NHS England
The British Medical Association (BMA) announced on August 31, 2023, that England is set to be hit with more consultant strikes and junior doctor strikes in September and October.
The last set of junior doctor strikes tool place between between 7am August 11 and 7am August 15, impacting hospital appointments and services nationwide.
Almost 835,000 appointments across NHS England have been postponed since December, and have cost an estimated £1 billion.
And as disputes over NHS pay continues, both junior doctors and consultants will strike together for the first time in history over the next two months.
Those receiving care have been told to expect a level of staffing equivalent to ‘Christmas Day’ during the four striking days.
Consultants will be striking on September 19 and 20, while junior doctors will be striking on September 20, 21 and 22.
Both will be standing side by side on the picket lines on October 2,3 and 4.
The union are asking for a 35% pay increase for junior doctor to make up for the 26 per cent real terms pay cut they have received in the last 15 years.
Junior doctor committee co-chairs Dr Vivek Trivedi and Rob Laurenson stated that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had ‘nowhere to hide’, as they pressed the message that they ‘are not going anywhere’.
They said: ‘We are prepared to continue with our industrial action, but we don’t have to – the Prime Minister has the power to halt any further action by making us a credible offer that we can put to our members.
‘If he does not come to the table with a credible offer on pay, he will face another six months of strike action. And another six months after, and after that, if he continues to ignore us,’ they added.
The government previously offered junior doctors a 6% pay increase, and a consolidated payment of £1,250.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dubbed it as the ‘final offer’, saying there would be ‘no more talks’ on salaries.
He continued: ‘We will not negotiate again on this year’s settlements. And no amount of strikes will change our decision.’
The government have yet to change their decision on this stance.
Train strikes
RMT has announced that National Rail strikes will go ahead in September – affecting the thousands of commuters and holidaymakers clinging on to the last bit of sunshine
RMT has announced that National Rail strikes will go ahead in September – affecting the thousands of commuters and holidaymakers clinging on to the last bit of sunshine.
It confirmed that approximately 20,000 rail workers are set to take part in further strike action this September.
The union confirmed a walkout will take place on September 2.
General secretary Mick Lynch said the union has ‘received no improved or revised offer’ from the Rail Delivery Group (which represents the Train Operating Companies), so it had to call more strike days, one of which will fall in September.
Train driver union ASLEF took action during August, carrying out ‘action short of a strike’ – essentially an overtime ban – and has now announced a September strike date for September 1, with another overtime ban the following day.
In addition to this, ASLEF members plan to walk out on September 1, and will be subject to an overtime ban.
ASLEF union has said the overtime ban will ‘seriously disrupt’ the network.
Affected train companies include:
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railways
- c2c
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Greater Anglia
- GTR Great Northern Thameslink
- Great Western Railway
- Island Line
- LNER
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- Southern/Gatwick Express
- South Western Railway
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Trains
Airport strikes
The summer holidays are almost over for schools and universities – but that isn’t stopping millions of Britons from travelling, except now they will face the burden of strikes
The summer holidays are almost over for schools and universities – but that isn’t stopping millions of Britons from travelling, except now they will face the burden of strikes.
British holidaymakers face more travel chaos as strikes have been announced by Wizz Air ground staff in London Luton airport, one of the busiest airports serving the city.
Ground workers at the airport announced they will continue to strike in September in a protest over their working conditions, following industrial action on August 30.
Unite the Union said members will strike on September 6 and 13.
This comes after the disruption caused by 80 members on August 30.
Unite general-secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘GH London’s conduct is appalling; workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect in the workplace and the company’s behaviour falls far below that standard.
‘Unite always puts the jobs, pay, and conditions of its members first and the workers at GH London will be receiving the union’s unflinching support’.
Complaints by workers include CCTV and audio recordings gathered from break rooms without consent, and allegations the company failed to follow its own disciplinary and grievance process.
They claim that ethnic minority employees are disproportionately subjected to disciplinary proceedings, and also point out instances of failure to pay wages on time.
GH London has been approached by the MailOnline for comment. Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) are set to strike.
Unite has also warned that ground workers employed by Vanderlande Industries at could strike at Heathrow, London’s largest airport.
The ballot will close on September 1.
This comes after the same company’s ballot staff went on strike after receiving a ‘poor pay offer’.
Bus driver strikes
Unite the Union has announced that staff from both First and Stagecoach, some of the city’s largest bus operators will strike this September
Unite the Union has announced that staff from both First and Stagecoach will strike this September.
Transport for Manchester says First buses running in Rochdale, Oldham, Manchester and Ashton will strike from September 4 to 8.
All Greater Manchester routes that are also operated by Stagecoach will see disruption on the same dates, except for Middleton, Wigan and Leigh
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary said: ‘Not only are the drivers struggling with rising living costs, the low wages paid by these companies are causing staffing shortages its workers are bearing the brunt’.
Her union accuse the large operators of paying drivers struggling with rising living costs ‘derisory wages’ while their profits ‘continue to soar.
IRN-BRU delivery driver strikes
Unite represents a number of IRN BRU’s disgruntled staff members
Drivers for IRN-BRU are set to strike on September 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 – in the Cumbernauld, the town where Scotland’s famous fizzy drink is produced.
A.G. Barr is the manufacturer that will bear the brunt of these strikes, with its factory located in the Scottish town.
Unite represents a number of IRN BRU’s disgruntled staff members.
Andy Brown from Unite said: ‘Unite’s members have no option but to take strike action because A.G. Barr stubbornly refuses to give its loyal workforce a fair share of its sparkling profits.
‘There is a steely determination among our members because five per cent just doesn’t cut it.’
This comes after the trade union called out the manufacturer for its stinginess, claiming the company has accumulated over £50m in profits while refusing to budge from their 5% pay offer.
University strikes
The University and College Union’s (UCU) Higher Education Committee announced new strikes on campus, unhappy with vice-chancellors’ responses
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘We will not be bullied into accepting gig economy universities, nor will we accept employers imposing punitive pay deductions’
The University and College Union’s (UCU) Higher Education Committee announced new strikes on campus, unhappy with vice-chancellors’ responses.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘We will not be bullied into accepting gig economy universities, nor will we accept employers imposing punitive pay deductions.
She added: ‘While we have agreed to requests for a joint review of sector finances, employers have made no attempt to compromise on the key issues.
‘If they had shown some goodwill, the boycott could now be over. Instead, tens of thousands of students have been impacted and strike action is likely to stretch into next year’.
Specific strike dates are yet to be determined but the UCU claim they’ll take place before the end of September.