London Tube
Workers in the RMT union were about to take strike action from 7th January to 12th January after a derisory 5% pay offer was rejected at a mass meeting of representatives and in a ballot by 95%. The employers, Transport for London (TfL), argued that they cannot afford to offer more. However, Andy Lord, commissioner of TfL, got a pay increase of £40,000 last year, whilst senior managers pay themselves £13 million in bonuses. Revenue from passengers has gone back to its pre-Covid levels and the money is there.
In a well-coordinated action, different sections of the workforce were planning to come out on different days, to cause maximum disruption, without losing four days’ pay. This meant stations, trains, engineers, fleet, power control, signallers would strike at different times. In addition to the pay claim, tube workers are demanding parity with workers on the Elizabeth Line and London Overground, who get concessionary rail travel on national rail. As both are run by TfL , there is no reason why this concession should not be offered to tube workers too.
The strike action was interrupted for fresh talks after London mayor Sadiq Khan suddenly discovered unspecified City Hall funds. Khan decided to act after concerns by business and tourism leaders of massive effect of a week-long strike on the London economy and the post-Christmas return to work.
It is unfortunate that workers organised in the ASLEF union on London Underground did not take coordinated action with those in the RMT, agreeing to accept the company pay offer of 5%. After pay talks were renewed, ASLEF leaders then asked for the 12% rise too.
West London Buses
350 bus drivers and engineers in West London, based at Westbourne Park garage, working for London Transit went out on strike on 21st to 23rd December, after rejecting a 6.8% pay offer. London Transit is owned by French company RATP. It attacked arrangements for days off and for a £500 per annum meal relief payment and failed to okay an increase in hourly pay. Workers must work for 7 years before they get a full rate of pay, unlike most bus companies who award it after only 3 years of work.
Southampton Buses
After threatening strike action, workers for the bus company Unilink, which provides student transportation to campuses in Southampton, accepted a 7% pay rise, after rejecting a 5.28% pay offer.
Cardiff, Gosport, and Northampton Refuse Collectors
Workers in Cardiff working for the council refuse collection voted to start four weeks of strikes from 28th December to 25th January. They are striking over pay, the bullying culture of management, and the failure to enact agreed policies and offer full-time contracts to agency workers. Meanwhile refuse workers in Gosport, Hampshire, working for the outsourcing firm Urbaser, threatened strike action over pay. The firm then agreed to pay HGV drivers £15 an hour and other workers £12 an hour, backdated to April 1st 2023. As a result, the strike was called off. In Northampton, refuse workers working for Veolia threatened strike action over the Christmas period . The company then offered Christmas bonuses, but workers are still prepared to strike if a pay offer above the rate of inflation is not agreed.
Iceland Warehouse Workers
150 Workers at the Iceland cold storage warehouse in Swindon, who work for sub-contractor GXO, earn the minimum wage. They rejected the company’s plans for a two year below inflation pay deal and went out on strike over Christmas, on 14-18th December and 27-30th December.
Gosport ASDA Workers
Workers at an ASDA supermarket in Gosport are planning to strike from 12th to 26th January over safety concerns. Management has failed to address these concerns on five occasions.
South Wales Gas Workers
WORKERS AT the Flogas gas supplier at Llandarcy in South Wales struck for two weeks over Christmas and New Year. Workers are furious that they are paid less than workers at the same company in England. Workers began strikes last year.
Clyde Shipyard Workers
Workers at a Clyde shipyard are set to strike for 20 days beginning in January and ending on 27th March. They are employed by sub-contractors CBL Cable Contractors at the Govan and Scotstoun yards. They voted 100% for strike action
Barts Workers Ready to Strike
Workers at Barts Hospital in London plan to strike from 29th January. These include pathology workers and laundry and maintenance workers. Pathology workers will be striking for a week and other workers may join in. Laundry workers have united with porters, cooks, and cleaners to demand the Covid Bonus promised by the government. Pathology workers went out on strike for 2 days before Christmas as well.
Greenwich Library Workers
Library workers employed by Greenwich Leisure plan to take strike action after the employers failed to offer a 2023 pay deal above inflation.
Movianto Workers
Workers at the Movianto warehouse in Bedford, which distributes specialised medical equipment and medication, have voted to strike by 80% over collective bargaining.
Hartlepool
Around 150 workers at TMD Friction in Hartlepool, which supplies car parts UK wide, walked out in early January on two days., after rejecting a 4% pay offer. They also imposed an overtime ban, and plan three further 24-hour strikes.
West Lothian
Craft workers, including labourers and painters, working for West Lothian Council are also set for strikes after massively voting for action over pay. They have already gone out on three 24-hour strikes.
Pensions Workers in Brighton
Workers at the Pension Regulator(TPR) in Brighton are planning on striking over 12 days, after having struck for 36 days in 2023. They rejected a laughable 3% pay offer.
Merseyside Firefighters
After workers at the fire control room on Merseyside threatened eight days of strikes from 27th December on a ballot by 100%, management backed down and agreed a pay rise of £6,680 per year and a new duty shift system as well as compensation if workers agree to change shifts at short notice.
London Tube
Workers in the RMT union were about to take strike action from 7th January to 12th January after a derisory 5% pay offer was rejected at a mass meeting of representatives and in a ballot by 95%. The employers, Transport for London (TfL), argued that they cannot afford to offer more. However, Andy Lord, commissioner of TfL, got a pay increase of £40,000 last year, whilst senior managers pay themselves £13 million in bonuses. Revenue from passengers has gone back to its pre-Covid levels and the money is there.
In a well-coordinated action, different sections of the workforce were planning to come out on different days, to cause maximum disruption, without losing four days’ pay. This meant stations, trains, engineers, fleet, power control, signallers would strike at different times. In addition to the pay claim, tube workers are demanding parity with workers on the Elizabeth Line and London Overground, who get concessionary rail travel on national rail. As both are run by TfL , there is no reason why this concession should not be offered to tube workers too.
The strike action was interrupted for fresh talks after London mayor Sadiq Khan suddenly discovered unspecified City Hall funds. Khan decided to act after concerns by business and tourism leaders of massive effect of a week-long strike on the London economy and the post-Christmas return to work.
It is unfortunate that workers organised in the ASLEF union on London Underground did not take coordinated action with those in the RMT, agreeing to accept the company pay offer of 5%. After pay talks were renewed, ASLEF leaders then asked for the 12% rise too.
West London Buses
350 bus drivers and engineers in West London, based at Westbourne Park garage, working for London Transit went out on strike on 21st to 23rd December, after rejecting a 6.8% pay offer. London Transit is owned by French company RATP. It attacked arrangements for days off and for a £500 per annum meal relief payment and failed to okay an increase in hourly pay. Workers must work for 7 years before they get a full rate of pay, unlike most bus companies who award it after only 3 years of work.
Southampton Buses
After threatening strike action, workers for the bus company Unilink, which provides student transportation to campuses in Southampton, accepted a 7% pay rise, after rejecting a 5.28% pay offer.
Cardiff, Gosport, and Northampton Refuse Collectors
Workers in Cardiff working for the council refuse collection voted to start four weeks of strikes from 28th December to 25th January. They are striking over pay, the bullying culture of management, and the failure to enact agreed policies and offer full-time contracts to agency workers. Meanwhile refuse workers in Gosport, Hampshire, working for the outsourcing firm Urbaser, threatened strike action over pay. The firm then agreed to pay HGV drivers £15 an hour and other workers £12 an hour, backdated to April 1st 2023. As a result, the strike was called off. In Northampton, refuse workers working for Veolia threatened strike action over the Christmas period . The company then offered Christmas bonuses, but workers are still prepared to strike if a pay offer above the rate of inflation is not agreed.
Iceland Warehouse Workers
150 Workers at the Iceland cold storage warehouse in Swindon, who work for sub-contractor GXO, earn the minimum wage. They rejected the company’s plans for a two year below inflation pay deal and went out on strike over Christmas, on 14-18th December and 27-30th December.
Gosport ASDA Workers
Workers at an ASDA supermarket in Gosport are planning to strike from 12th to 26th January over safety concerns. Management has failed to address these concerns on five occasions.
South Wales Gas Workers
WORKERS AT the Flogas gas supplier at Llandarcy in South Wales struck for two weeks over Christmas and New Year. Workers are furious that they are paid less than workers at the same company in England. Workers began strikes last year.
Clyde Shipyard Workers
Workers at a Clyde shipyard are set to strike for 20 days beginning in January and ending on 27th March. They are employed by sub-contractors CBL Cable Contractors at the Govan and Scotstoun yards. They voted 100% for strike action
Barts Workers Ready to Strike
Workers at Barts Hospital in London plan to strike from 29th January. These include pathology workers and laundry and maintenance workers. Pathology workers will be striking for a week and other workers may join in. Laundry workers have united with porters, cooks, and cleaners to demand the Covid Bonus promised by the government. Pathology workers went out on strike for 2 days before Christmas as well.
Greenwich Library Workers
Library workers employed by Greenwich Leisure plan to take strike action after the employers failed to offer a 2023 pay deal above inflation.
Movianto Workers
Workers at the Movianto warehouse in Bedford, which distributes specialised medical equipment and medication, have voted to strike by 80% over collective bargaining.
Hartlepool
Around 150 workers at TMD Friction in Hartlepool, which supplies car parts UK wide, walked out in early January on two days., after rejecting a 4% pay offer. They also imposed an overtime ban, and plan three further 24-hour strikes.
West Lothian
Craft workers, including labourers and painters, working for West Lothian Council are also set for strikes after massively voting for action over pay. They have already gone out on three 24-hour strikes.
Pensions Workers in Brighton
Workers at the Pension Regulator(TPR) in Brighton are planning on striking over 12 days, after having struck for 36 days in 2023. They rejected a laughable 3% pay offer.
Merseyside Firefighters
After workers at the fire control room on Merseyside threatened eight days of strikes from 27th December on a ballot by 100%, management backed down and agreed a pay rise of £6,680 per year and a new duty shift system as well as compensation if workers agree to change shifts at short notice.