London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 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
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
×