RMT digs in for long battle [print version]
The rail disputes are now nearly six months old, and railway workers and their unions – led by RMT – are now resigned to a long-drawn-out campaign...
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University staff vote for UK-wide strike action in historic ballot
24 October 2022
The University and College Union has announced that over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities could strike after an overwhelming Yes vote for strike action in what it calls “two historic national ballots”.
RMT prepares for long battle
23 October 2022
The rail disputes are now nearly six months old, and railway workers and their unions – led by RMT – are now resigned to a long-drawn-out campaign as they fight for the future of their jobs and their industry.
Liverpool dock strike enters second phase
7 October 2022
Over 560 dockers at the Port of Liverpool have just completed the first two-week planned phase of their strike action over pay and conditions. Now more workers are set to join in with fresh action from 11 to 17 October.
Barristers ballot on new offer
6 October 2022
With criminal barristers ramping up their industrial action to all-out strike from the start of September, the government has made an improved offer to try to get the courts back to work in England and Wales.
FE lecturers launch wave of strikes over pay
27 September 2022
Thousands of lecturers at further education colleges in England are striking this week and next in a battle over pay in the biggest action ever taken by FE workers.
Rolls-Royce workers move towards action on pay
20 September 2022
Unions at aerospace and defence company Rolls-Royce are to ballot for industrial action after talks on pay broke down at the beginning of September.
Ferries - Red Funnel pay fight
Ferry workers on the Red Funnel crossings from Southampton to Cowes on the Isle of Wight continued their pay fight with strikes throughout August.
War: Asian exercises
The US and South Korea announced the start their biggest joint war games for years on 22 August. Troops plus warships, aircraft and tanks simulated an attack on North Korea.
Barristers: Indefinite strike
After nearly two months of intermittent industrial action, criminal barristers in England and Wales have voted to escalate to uninterrupted, indefinite strikes.
Medical training capped again
A month after praising Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital as “amazing” for the treatment his wife had received, Education Secretary James Cleverly has re-imposed the cap on medical training places.
Reach journalists take to the picket lines
23 August 2022
Around 1,000 journalists across Britain and Ireland working for the Reach group start four days of strike action on Friday 26 August after rejecting a pay increase of 3 per cent.
Bus services in England slashed [updated]
Massive cuts in bus services across England are under way as the government cuts financial support. This is deliberate and avoidable government policy.
Telecoms workers fighting for pay
21 August 2022
BT Group and Openreach telecoms workers will hold further strikes at the end of August. They are fighting against below inflation pay increases – in effect, wage cuts.
Post Office pay – more strikes likely
21 August 2022
Post Office workers are continuing industrial action in their ongoing pay dispute. Like other workers their employer has offered a pay increase well below inflation.
Liverpool dock strikes imminent
17 August 2022
Liverpool port workers are preparing to start strikes after an inadequate pay offer. A ballot of Unite members overwhelmingly supported taking action.
Felixstowe Port workers strike over pay [updated]
Felixstowe’s container port ground to a halt on 21 August as Unite members there walked out on an eight-day strike over pay..
Red Funnel workers in dispute
15 August 2022
Ferry Workers on Red Funnel Isle of Wight routes are fighting for better pay with a series strikes throughout August.
Libraries lose purpose
4 August 2022
A controversial series of children’s story readings are only part of the underlying tale of the decline of children’s library services in Britain.
River pollution: challenge to water companies
17 July 2022
Sewage pollution of rivers and canals has become a serious public health concern. It's so bad that the Environment Agency wants to jail offending water company CEOs.
Student loan burden grows
17 July 2022
British students pay heavily for their loans because of high interest rates and flat wages meaning graduates don't make substantial repayments.
Switzerland tilts towards NATO
17 July 2022
NATO is rapidly expanding its influence in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Switzerland, legally a neutral country, is one of those being drawn into NATO influence.
Brewing pay fight
15 July 2022
Workers at Budweiser’s Samlesbury brewery are in a continuing dispute over pay. They are strking again in response to an offer well below inflation.
Barristers walk out over legal aid pay
29 June 2022
Hundreds of criminal barristers began a series of strikes on 27 June over unacceptable pay rates for legal aid cases. The action has already led to eight out of ten crown court hearings being postponed.
Trade Unions - Membership drops
Bad news on trade union membership: the proportion of the workforce belonging to a union is at its lowest level since the current method of calculation began in 1995.
Avoidable air delays hit hard [print version]
Airline travellers have suffered several months of cancellations and long delays at airports. On one day in late May, 377 flights were cancelled affecting 56,000 people.
Nurse 'poaching' continues [print version]
Britain continues to recruit nurses and other health staff from “red listed” countries, who have their own shortages...
Shameful overseas nurse recruitment continues
16 June 2022
Britain continues to recruit nurses and other health staff from countries also short of health staff.
SNP tries to block gene editing progress
The Scottish government intends to block the deployment of gene-edited crops even if the proposed new legislation on gene editing applies to the whole of the UK.
Financial Conduct Authority fight continues
Workers at the Financial Conduct Authority have stepped up their fight for better pay and conditions, and union recognition, with a two-day strike.