The government is facing a wave of summer strikes – how will it respond? Opinion Public sector strike action is always tricky territory for Labour politicians to navigate, particularly when the party is in opposition. When strikes plagued the previous Tory government (teachers and junior doctors in particular) Labour MPs – including Keir Starmer – were quick to condemn the government while trying hard not to criticise the unions, with [...]
RMT union boss Mick Lynch to step down Transport and infrastructure Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary who gained national notoriety during a series of train strikes in recent years, is to retire. Lynch, 63, was elected general secretary in 2021 after previously serving two terms as assistant general secretary and another two on the union’s national executive committee executive. The union boss has become a [...]
Harrods: Christmas strikes set for crisis-hit department store Retail Harrods, the crisis-hit iconic London department store, is braced for another blow as hundreds of workers voted to strike over the critical Christmas period. Employees represented by the United Voices of the World (UVW) union will walk out from 8pm on Friday, 20 December, to Sunday, 22 December, and again from 12am on Boxing Day [...]
London Underground strikes called off after ‘significantly improved’ pay offer November 1, 2024 A planned strike by drivers on the London Underground has been called off after what the RMT union has described as a “significantly improved offer” was proposed by bosses. Drivers had been due to walk out from this evening in a row over pay following a vote last month. At the time, the RMT branded [...]
No end for Boeing strike as US workers reject 35 per cent pay rise offer October 24, 2024 Boeing factory workers in the US voted against the company’s latest contract offer and remain on the picket lines six weeks into a strike that has stopped production of the aerospace giant’s best-selling jetliners.
NHS pension tax grab could see ‘return to strikes’, government warned October 9, 2024 Plans to reduce the tax-free lump sum savers can withdraw from their pension could see NHS workers mount a “return to pay unrest and strikes”, the government has been warned. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly mulling plans to cap withdrawals at £100,000 in the Budget on 30 October in a bid to shore up the [...]
London Underground: Tube strikes loom as workers to vote on walk-outs October 8, 2024 London Underground workers are being balloted on Tube strikes over pay and conditions amid a dispute with Transport for London (TfL). Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) in jobs including customer service and advising passengers in stations are being asked if they want to strike. The ballot closes on 18 October and also [...]
Train driver shortage concern fuels calls for ‘massive recruitment campaign’ September 23, 2024 Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said a fifth of his union members are set to retire within the next five years.
Train drivers accept £9K pay deal to end two years of UK rail strikes September 18, 2024 Train drivers on Wednesday voted to accept a new pay deal, bringing to an end a two-year industrial dispute over pay and conditions.
Playing nice with trade unions won’t fix public services September 5, 2024 With trade unions promising further strike action despite generous pay settlements, Labour have found themselves in a bind of their own making, say Matthew Lesh Throughout the election campaign, Keir Starmer repeatedly pledged to end strikes by engaging in constructive dialogue with the unions. This always sounded like a pretty hollow promise. How could simply talking to [...]