London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

UK summer of unrest? Strikes in the air from barristers to NHS

UK summer of unrest? Strikes in the air from barristers to NHS

Several professions could be about to follow rail workers in striking, but reasons and plans vary

The UK, some front pages claim, is heading into a 1970s-style summer of unrest, with strikes erupting across the public sector. It is the case that, as well as rail workers, other professions are considering industrial action, but plans vary and much of the disquiet has been building for some time:

Rail workers


From midnight on Monday, 40,000 members of the RMT union are to begin the first of three one-day strikes which will mean limited or no rail services across much of Great Britain. London Underground staff will also strike on Tuesday.

The biggest rail strikes in three decades, involving staff from Network Rail and for 13 train operators, are partly about pay, although the RMT is only seeking a 7% rise, below the forecast rate of inflation. The union is also seeking assurances on compulsory redundancies, hours and other working conditions.

Rail firms argue that overhauls are needed, in part to adapt the network to a post-pandemic era in which travel patterns have changed and peak-time passenger numbers reduced.

Criminal defence barristers


Eight out of 10 defence barristers backed industrial action because of what they said was the government’s refusal to properly fund legal aid, not only affecting their incomes but exacerbating a major backlog in the courts.

From 27 June, defence barristers will refuse to take on new cases, which will then have to be delayed.

Teachers


Teachers in England could strike in the autumn, subject to a ballot, if their demand for a significant pay rise is not met, the National Education Union (NEU) has warned.

The NEU, the biggest teachers’ union, is seeking a pay rise of at least 9%, with the union’s head, Mary Bousted, saying the profession had seen a real-terms drop in wages of about 20% since 2010.

Teachers “simply cannot carry on with the salaries they are getting”, especially given the amount of unpaid overtime they routinely carry out, she told the BBC on Monday.

NHS staff


Perhaps as soon as this week, the recommended pay offer for a huge number of non-doctor NHS staff in England, up to senior nurse level, is due to be announced.

More than a dozen unions representing the various NHS professions are seeking an increase that matches inflation, currently at 9% and expected to rise further this year.

If the pay award is lower, which seems inevitable, Unison has warned it could prompt industrial action, or it could simply mean some staff quit their jobs.

Junior doctors


In another potential flashpoint for the NHS in England, junior doctors are seeking a “restorative” pay rise of 22%, intended to make up a real-terms drop in pay of that amount since 2010, averaging about £10,000 a year.

If this is not met, junior doctors could go on strike, as they did in 2016.

Care workers


Care workers and other staff employed by the Bristol-based firm St Monica Trust are to strike over a plan to force a pay cut on them. However, a wider strike by care staff is unlikely as the sector is generally not unionised, and it is particularly difficult for low-paid or zero-hours contract workers to take industrial action.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×