This week a number of unions across a variety of sectors are planning to walk out on strike, with fewer workers, these are likely to cause some disruption, so here is all you need to know ahead of this week’s strike action. 

March 13 – Junior Doctors 

From March 13, until March 15, Junior Doctors across the country are expected to walk out as part of a 72-hour strike. Members of the BMA union are walking out as part of a dispute over pay and working conditions. 

More than 36,000 junior doctors are expected to strike across the country, and with the group making up over 40% of the medical workforce, disruption is to be anticipated. 

The NHS advice is to dial 999 in an emergency and turn up to hospital appointments unless you are told otherwise.

March 15 – Civil Servants + Teachers

On March 15 and 16, NEU members will be holding planned walk outs in schools across England, including sixth-form colleges. Teachers unions are calling for above-inflation increases and want schools to receive extra money to ensure pay rises don’t come from existing budgets. 

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) say that on average between 2010 and 2022, teacher salaries in England fell by 11% after taking rising prices into account. The government is proposing a 3% pay rise for most teachers in 2023/24 - but the NEU says this is not enough.

On March 15, Civil Servants across the country also plan to strike after calling for a 10% pay rise, better pensions, job security and no cuts to redundancy terms.

March 16 and March 18 – Rail 

RMT has instructed all its members working for 14 train operators to strike on Thursday, March 16 and Saturday, March 18, as well as to further dates later in the month.

Among networks expected to be effected by the strikes is Great Western Railway (GWR). GWR have said regarding the planned walk outs: “On strike days (Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 March) only a reduced service will operate on a limited number of routes. Many parts of the GWR network will have no service at all. Services will start later and finish earlier and journeys will need to be completed before 18:30. Those who need to travel should check both their outward and return journeys.”