Who is on strike today in the UK? A list of sectors walking out - from teachers to civil servants

Several sectors are striking throughout February and March
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The UK is bracing itself for another wave of strikes throughout February - with NHS staff, rail workers and teachers taking action.

This winter has seen the biggest wave of industrial action in the country for a generation, as public sector workers have gone on strike due to disputes over pay, working conditions, and employment terms. Strikes have taken place across many different sectors, including the NHS, postal services, railways and transport.

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The first day of February saw one of the biggest strike days in more than a decade, as teachers, univeristy staff, rail workers, and civil service staff all walked out.

Today (28 February), some Department for Work and Pensions workers, DVLA employees, teachers, land registery staff and Amazon workers are walking out.

Here’s a rundown of exactly who’s striking when in the next couple weeks, and why certain unions are walking out.

DWP

Department of Work and Pensions staff who are PCS members will strike in six offices in a dispute over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.

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Members at Toxteth Jobcentre, Liverpool Duke Street Jobcentre, Liverpool City Jobcentre, Liverpool Innovation Park Jobcentre will strike on 28 February and 1, 2 and 3 March.

DVLA

DVLA members working in stores are taking industrial action as part of the PCS’ Union national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.

The action follows five days of strike action from the Output Services Group at Ty Felin and Morriston in Swansea and six days of planned strike action for all members employed at all DVLA workplaces working for drivers’ medical.

The dates of the strikes are: 28 February and 1, 2, 3 March.

Land Registry

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More than 350 workers at the HM Land Registry who are members of the PCS Union will walk out this week in a dispute overpay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.

Workers in Birkenhead, Coventry, Croydon, Durham, Fylde, Gloucester, Hull, Leicester, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Swansea, Telford, and Weymouth will take action from 27 February to 3 March 2023.

The Land Registry says its core services, “with all time-critical services required for property transactions” will continue as normal. But customer service teams will be affected, which will likely lead to longer call waiting times and “possibly” reduced call hours.

PCS general secretary Mike Serwotka said: “As long as the government shows no sign of resolving this dispute, we’ll show no signs to stopping strike action.

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“Ministers seem able to find money for just about everything other than giving their own employees a decent pay rise. PCS members have had enough of being taken for granted.”

Drax Power Plant

Workers at Drax, the UK’s largest power station in North Yorkshire, are striking in a dispute over pay.

More than 180 staff who are members of Unite rejected an 8% pay increase after describing it “a substantial real terms pay cut” when compared with the inflation rate.

Strike dates are set to take place on: 6, 13, 20 and 27 March; and 4, 10 and 17 April.

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Elaine Dougall, Unite regional co-ordinating officer said: “The pay offer on the table by Drax Hydro is unacceptable. The company is profitable and the workforce has made reasonable demands which Drax can well afford to pay.

“Unite will not tolerate real terms pay cuts and our members are determined to get what they deserve. It should not have needed to come to this point as the parent group is awash with hundreds of millions in profit.

Teachers

Schools in England and Wales are expected to be affected after thousands of teachers are set to walk out after the National Education Union (NEU) organised a ballot of 300,000 members calling for a pay rise.

The strike days are:

  • Tuesday 28 February: all eligible members in the Northern, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber regions
  • Wednesday 1 March: all eligible members in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and Eastern regions
  • Thursday 2 March: all eligible members in London, South East and South West regions
  • Wednesday 15 March: all eligible members in England and Wales
  • Thursday 16 March: all eligible members in England and Wales

Amazon workers

UK Amazon staff working at a Coventry fulfilment centre will be striking this week in their fight for £15 per hour.

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More than 350 staff will walk out on 28 February, 2 March and from 13 to 17 March after making history to become the first Amazon UK workers to strike on 25 January.

Amanda Gearing, GMB Senior Organiser, said: “This unprecedented week-long strike shows the anger among Amazon workers in Coventry. They work for one of the richest companies in the world, yet they have to work round the clock to keep themselves afloat.

“It’s sickening that Amazon workers in Coventry will earn just 8 pence above the NMW in April 2023. Amazon bosses can stop this industrial action by doing the right thing and negotiating a proper pay rise with workers.

Bidvest Noonan

Bidvest Noonan workers who are contracted to clean and refuel buses for First Bus in Glasglow and Aberdeen are set to strike in a dispute over pay.

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More than 100 cleaners, fuellers and shunters contracted are walking out after previously rejecting a 2% pay offer. According to Unite, with cleaning, refuelling and re-charging of the electric buses not carried out on the days of industrial action, buses across both Glasgow and Aberdeen may have to be taken off the roads for safety and re-charging reasons.

Strike action will commence from 3pm on 1 March to 6am on 4 March, and will recommence at the Aberdeen depot at 3pm on 8 March, concluding at 6am on 11 March.

The bus depots to be impacted by strike action are:

  • 395 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5RP
  • 5 Glasgow Road, Blantyre, G72 0LA
  • 100 Cathcart Road Glasgow, G42 7BH
  • 1073 South Street Glasgow G14 0AQ
  • Birch Meadow, Dumbarton, G82 2RE
  • 5 Castlehill Road, Wishaw, ML2 0QS

Balfour Beatty

Engineering workers at Balfour Beatty will take three 36 hour strikes in a pay dispute.

More than 100 workers will take action after rejecting the company’s offer of 5.5% increase in pay from April 2022.

The strike dates are:

  • Friday 3 March
  • Sunday 5 March
  • Friday 10 March
  • Sunday 12 March
  • Friday 17 March
  • Sunday 19 March
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RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “These highly skilled workers have had enough of not been offered a decent wage rise. The cost-of-living crisis has affected all workers and our members are not prepared to pay the price while the company enjoy huge revenues.

“Balfour Beatty is a highly profitable company and they need to use some of their excess wealth to reward their workers properly.”

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