Strike, U.K., Greece

The ADEDY public sector trade union confederation has called a national, public sector strike for 21 May over the cost of living and low pay across the public services. ADEDY argues that the pay rise awarded from 1 January 2024 of €38-€42 a month has done little to compensate for the loss of purchasing power over the years since austerity. The confederation says that a nurse has to survive on a net salary of €680. ADEDY is calling for a 10% pay increase for all public sector workers, for collective bargaining on pay, for abolition of the 2% unemployment levy, an increase in the tax-free

The PCS trade union is set to launch a ballot for industrial action on 18 March as a first step in a renewed campaign around pay, jobs and working conditions. The union has around 150,000 members in over 200 bargaining units across the civil service and has been successful in recent years in securing support for targeted strike action despite the strict UK ballot rules covering public services. The ballot will close on 13 May and there will be a special meeting of the PCS national executive on 15 May to consider the results. The union’s key demands include: a cost-of-living rise, with an

Public service unions have organised one of the biggest strikes and mobilisations in Northern Ireland for many years as they try to put pressure on the UK government to stop delaying a pay offer for public service workers. The government claims that its hands are tied by the political stalemate in the province and the lack of a functioning Assembly. The unions argue that this is an excuse and that the money is available to make a pay offer immediately. EPSU affiliates UNISON, Unite, GMB and RCN are involved in the action, along with NIPSA, RCM, CSP, SoR, BDA as well as the teaching unions

In a long-running dispute over pay, the BMA doctors’ union has launched a six-day strike involving junior doctors – the occupational category that covers a wide range of qualified doctors and consultants. The union is seeking a deal which will compensate for the 26% decline in real pay for junior doctors since 2008. The strike began on 3 January and will be the single, longest strike action in the history of the National Health Service. Meanwhile, the RCN nurses’ union is maintaining its dispute over pay from last year and has strongly criticised the health ministry for a delay in beginning

On 9 December, the TUC trade union confederation organised its first special congress since 1982 to discuss its strategy to fight the government’s attack on the right to strike. EPSU affiliates in the UK are particularly affected by the new minimum services level legislation which could mean that workers who lawfully vote to strike, could be forced to attend work and even sacked if they don’t comply. The TUC says that one in five workers in Britain – 5.5 million people – the vast majority in public services, are at risk of losing their right to strike as a result of the Strikes Act. In a

On 21 September the ADEDY civil service confederation organised national strike action in protest at labour law changes that were due to be discussed in parliament that day. The changes target the public sector and include relaxations in working time rules that could see civil servants working up to 13 hours a day/78 per week. The changes would mark the end of the five-day week, allow for highly precarious contracts as well as stricter rules on strikes.

Members of the UNISON, Unite, GMB and RCM trade unions joined five other unions in coordinated strike action over pay on 21 and 22 September. Workers in the province are frustrated by the low level of pay offered to civil service workers, the complete lack of a pay offer in the health service and the continuing problems with staffing shortages. The unions are particularly frustrated about the fact that many public service workers in England, Scotland and Wales have aleady accepted pay offers and that the pay gap between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK is increasing. The ETUC sent a

While some of the major disputes in public services have been or are being resolved, several significant strikes and protests over pay are still taking place. Various groups of non-teaching staff in schools, colleges and universities are all involved in action. Workers in colleges in Scotland have a rolling campaign of action while those in schools, organised by UNISON, Unite and GMB are planning strikes at the end of September. Non-teaching staff in universities in England and Wales will also walk out at different times in September and the beginning of October. Other disputes involve

PCS the main union in central government is running a ballot of members with a recommendation that the current campaign of strike action be suspended pending local negotiations on pay. The union is pleased with the results of the targeted industrial action that began last year, delivering a £1,500 non-consolidated cost-of-living payment and a concession from the government that the headline pay figure for 2023-24 will be 4.5% with an extra 0.5% for the lowest paid – more than double its originally intended figure of 2%. However, PCS wants to make sure that all agencies and departments benefit

Following strike action, the Unite trade union has secured a 10.1% pay increase for waste workers employed by the Suez multinational in South Gloucestershire. Strike action against Suez also delivered in Somerset, where the union won a 9% pay increase up from the original offer of 4.85%. However, disputes continue elsewhere, including with the Urbaser company in North Yorkshire where workers have rejected an 8% pay offer and days of strike action have been planned stretching through August and into September. Meanwhile, renewed strike action is likely in Coventry. Lengthy strike action by

The ADEDY public service workers’ confederation called a nationwide work stoppage from 11am on Wednesday 26 July and organised a protest outside the Ministry of Finance. This follows an earlier action on 19 July in protest at new legislation that ADEDY argues fails to address the long-term impact of austerity on public sector workers’ pay and conditions. The Confederation is demanding a range of measures to support workers, including re-establishing the value of the 13th and 14th month salaries, tax-free salaries up to €12000, an increase in the allowance for hazardous and unhealthy work and a

Although the pay deal covering most workers in the national health service in England has been accepted, this does not cover all groups and not all unions are happy with the deal. The result of the most recent ballot by the RCN nursing union delivered an 85% vote in favour of further industrial action but the restrictive rules on turnout imposed in UK legislation mean that any action would be illegal. However, members of the Unite trade union in different parts of the health service are still taking action while junior doctors and consultants, covered by different pay arrangements are also

Unions organising in the waste sector are taking on both local councils and private contractors in campaigns to secure better pay offers from employers. Action by Unite members at Welwyn and Hatfield delivered a 13.5% pay increase when the employer, private contractor Urbaser, agreed to increase its original offer of 8%. Meanwhile, several other disputes continue with one of the longest running in the North West where Unite members have been taking action since May in their dispute with Cumberland Council. In Selby in North Yorkshire Unite members are also taking on Urbaser and have voted for

The biggest campaign of industrial action in the history of the PCS trade union has won an improved pay offer from the government and concessions on redundancy and job security. After more than 300 days of targeted action and three national strikes, the union is now consulting over the government’s proposal and how it will be implemented at local level. The key elements include: a lump sum of £1500 in recognition of cost of living pressures in 2022-23, an increase in the scope for local bargaining from 2% to 4.5%, with an extra 0.5% for the lowest paid for 2023-24, and a commitment to further