Britain is again bracing for 72 hours of strikes by NHS junior doctors in mid-June, with NHS England’s national medical director, Sir Stephen Powis, warning that the latest action will have an “enormous impact” on services.
The medics will walk out from 7am on Wednesday 14 June until the morning of Saturday 17 June as part of the ongoing pursuit of improved pay and working conditions.
“The NHS has been preparing extensively for this next set of strikes, but we know that – with the sheer number of appointments that need to be rescheduled – it will have an enormous impact on routine care for patients and on the waiting list, as procedures can take time to rearrange with multiple teams involved,” Sir Stephen said.
Major strikes by train operators have already caused complications for the public in recent weeks, making life difficult in half-term week and for those attending specific events like the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, the FA Cup Final in London and the Epsom Derby as their own long-running pay disputes rumble on.
The most recent action by the RMT and Aslef on 31 May and 2-3 June came after months of negotiations with the government failed to yield a solution and is unlikely to prove the end of the matter.
Those were only the latest instances of strikes hitting Britain after a long winter in which thousands of workers took action.
From teachers and nurses to civil servants, postal workers and driving instructors, public sector workers have demanded salary increases in response to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
While some of the disputes have been averted – Heathrow security staff belonging to the Unite union recently postponed a series of strikes in order to ballot members on a new wage offer, for instance – many more unions are still planning fresh protests.
Here is a list of all the walkouts that have been announced so far for May and June 2023, with more likely to follow.
Monday 1 May
More than 1,000 HM Passport Office workers belonging to the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) in England, Scotland and Wales continue a five-week strike that began in April in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions.
About 2,000 NHS ambulance workers in some parts of England represented by Unite are also on strike while a 24-hour walkout by members of the Royal College of Nursing union in England commenced on 30 April concludes.
Tuesday 2 May
Teachers belonging to the National Education Union on strike
Passport Office strike by PCS members continues.
Unite ambulance workers’ strike continues.
Wednesday 3 May
Passport Office strike by PCS members continues.
Thursday 4 May
Passport Office strike by PCS members continues.
Heathrow airport security staff belonging to Unite on strike.
Friday 5 May
BBC Regional Services staff belonging to the National Union of Journalists set to walk out.
Passport Office strike by PCS members continues.
Heathrow security staff strike continues.
Saturday 6 May
Heathrow security staff strike continues.
Tuesday 9 May
Heathrow security staff strike resumes.
Wednesday 10 May
Civil service union Prospect, which has more than 32,000 members across government departments, are set to walk out.
Heathrow security staff strike concludes.
Friday 12 May
Train drivers from the Aslef union working for 16 train companies walk out.
Saturday 13 May
RMT members working for 14 rail companies go on strike.
Thursday 25 May
Heathrow security staff strike resumes.
Friday 26 May
Heathrow security staff strike continues.
Saturday 27 May
Heathrow security staff strike concludes.
Wednesday 31 May
Train drivers from the Aslef union walk out.
Friday 2 June
RMT members working for 14 rail companies go on strike.
Saturday 3 June
Train drivers from the Aslef union walk out.
Tuesday 6 June
PCS civil servants walk out in Northern Ireland.
Wednesday 7 June
PCS civil servants walk out in Wales.
Wednesday 14 June
Junior doctors in England commence 72-hour strike.
Thursday 15 June
Junior doctors’s strike continues.
Friday 16 June
Junior doctors’s strike continues.
Saturday 17 June
Junior doctors’s strike concludes at 7am.
Tuesday 20 June
Arriva bus drivers on strike in north and east London.
Wednesday 21 June
Arriva bus drivers on strike in north and east London.
Tuesday 27 June
Arriva bus drivers on strike in north and east London.
Wednesday 28 June
Arriva bus drivers on strike in north and east London.