February Strikes

Many will be following with great interest news about the wide range of strikes currently taking place. News bulletins, press articles and, of course, news items aplenty on media shows like the Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2. Whatever your views are on the strikes then that’s entirely your own decisions and thoughts. Nothing political or any drum beating in this post. This is just meant to be a summary of details of what we can expect in respect of the February strikes and a guide to the days in which we will be effected. As I say, nothing political here.

Let’s have a look at what strikes lie ahead shall we.

February Strikes

As already mentioned there are a wide range of strikes happening. Several key sectors will come to a halt this month as disgruntled workers will be walking out of the workplace and demonstrating a united front in their pursuit of better pay and conditions.

The sectors affected include rail workers, street cleaners, nurses, emergency services staff, dock workers, civil servants, and teachers and lecturers. These are just some of those who have taken industrial action in recent months in protest against their employers and the existing pay and conditions they are currently working under. Let’s take a look at what is happening during the rest of February.

February Strikes – When Each Sector Will Be Striking

Train Drivers and Railway Workers

Train drivers from Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) and railway staff from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) were on strike yesterday. The stike actions affected trains run by Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, London North Eastern Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, SWR Island Line, TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains.

February Strikes and NHS Nurses

A bit of history was made back in December. This was as a result of members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) taking strike action for the first time to demand a pay rise 5% above the rate of inflation. In addition to that, demands were made in respect of improved patient safety, and greater respect for the skills and responsibilities of nursing staff.

Following on from this recent December action, they will return to the picket line on February 6 and 7. The action will affect 73 different NHS Trusts across England. These will include Liverpool, Wirral, St Helens and Knowsley, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, The Walton Centre and as far as we in Chester are concerned, the Countess of Chester also. For more information on the Countess of Chester action, take a look at this link HERE.

Ambulance Service Staff

In addition to nurses, thousands of ambulance staff in London, Yorkshire, the South West, North East and North West will join them on strike on February 6. In addition they will also strike on February 10, with only life-threatening 999 calls being guaranteed a response on those days.

UNISON warned strikes could continue into March unless an improved pay offer was made.

NHS Physiotherapists

More than 4,200 physiotherapists employed by 33 NHS trusts in England will take action on February 9 as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and staff retention. Physios on all seven Welsh health boards will also strike, on February 7.

This follows a previous strike on January 26, which affected 30 hospitals, including Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Midwives in Wales

Members of the Royal College of Midwives employed by NHS services in Wales will take action on February 7. This is after a rejection of a 4% pay offer.

Julie Richards, the Royal College of Midwives Director said, “to offer them a pay deal well below half of the rate of inflation is simply an insult that does a massive disservice to our maternity staff.”

University and College Staff

Around 70,000 members of the University and College Union (UCU) will strike for 11 days this month. This actually started on the first day of the month, February 1. In addition to that, further walk-outs will take place on February 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23. Furthermore they will continue into March in what will be the biggest series of strikes ever to hit UK university campuses.

The UCU demands include a pay rise to deal with the cost-of-living issue and an end to the use of insecure contracts. They have also demanded that employers revoke last year’s pension cuts, which they say will see the average member lose 35% from their guaranteed future retirement income.

Teachers February Strikes

More than 100,000 teachers from 23,000 schools in England and Wales could walk out this month. This is aimed at continuing the fight for better wages to “correct historic real-terms pay cuts”.

Members of the National Education Union in all English and Welsh schools have already taken action. There was a walk out on February 1. Also, there will be additional February strikes in Wales on February 14, and in the North, North West, Yorkshire and Humber on February 28.

And if anyone is planning a trip down to London next weekend.

London Tube Staff February Strikes – 11th February

Members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) working on London’s Bakerloo line will strike on February 11 in a dispute over safety.

February Strikes – Plenty Of Action Going On

As you will see from the above, there is plenty of action going on in these February strikes. You may be in support of all of them, some of them, or even none of them. Whatever your beliefs at least you now know when they will be happening. Also, some may affect you, some may not. But it may be better to get the bigger picture. And, following on from that, if you know of anyone who may be affected, then spread the word.

Reading about those sectors above and their days of action, reminded me of industrial action days long ago. Those old enough will well remember the miners strikes back in the 70’s and 80’s. What I remember of those dark days (no pun intended) still seems quite recent.

The Miners Strikes In Days Gone By

The 70’s strikes brought about the “Three Day Week.” The Three-Day Week was one of a variety of measures introduced in the United Kingdom in 1973–1974. The Government at the time, the Conservatives, led by Edward Heath’s introduced measures to conserve electricity. This included an introduction of the three day working week.

In the 1980’s miner’s strikes we were subjected to power cuts. Complete blackouts. The strike started on March 6, 1984 and ended on March 3, 1985. The resulting power cuts across the country were quite devastating. I well remember we, as a family, sitting in the living room with candles burning away. If nothing else, it seemed to bring families closer together. The number of people who lost working days due to the strike was more than 26 million. This made it the largest strike since the 1926 general strike.

Bleak days indeed.

Anyway, this post has brought you up to speed regarding the February strikes. And, made a quick trip down Memory Lane and recalled the dark days of the miners strikes.

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