London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Unions discuss co-ordinating industrial action in winter of strikes

Unions discuss co-ordinating industrial action in winter of strikes

Officials to discuss co-ordinated action in disputes including in the NHS, railways, Royal Mail, BT, universities and education

Unions involved in the wave of strikes and ballots breaking out across the UK are meeting to discuss co-ordinating hundreds of thousands of workers in industrial action.

The move followed announcements of a fresh strike by train drivers, and the result of a ballot among civil servants which showed support for walkouts.

A strike on London Underground by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union caused travel chaos in the capital on Thursday.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, has written to the Government asking for talks over pay, pensions and jobs before any action among civil servants is decided.

Officials from trade unions are to meet next week to discuss co-ordinated action in the disputes including in the NHS, railways, Royal Mail, BT, universities and education.

They are all involved in taking industrial action or balloting or preparing to ballot their members for strikes in disputes over pay, jobs and conditions.

The PCS said 100,000 of its members had backed strikes with an average vote of 86%, describing it as the highest vote in its history.

Union members voting for action work in areas including Government departments such as the Home Office and DWP, DVLA as well as ports, airports and coastguards.

The union will announce a campaign of industrial action on November 18 unless the Government gives it assurances on pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy payments.

Mr Serwotka said 45,000 PCS members were claiming benefits and 40,000 were using foodbanks following a decade of below inflation pay rises, and an imposed two per cent increase this year.


Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, warns of more industrial action

He claimed there were foodbanks inside Government offices, including GCHQ.

Mr Serwotka said there was already a huge backlog for driving tests, driving licences and passports, which he warned would get worse if there is a strike.

He said the PCS would consider co-ordinating any action among its members at the Department for Transport and Highways Agency, with strikes by railway workers in their long running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

He added: “It is clear that if we have one million workers on strike, it would put more political pressure on the Government.

“There is a case for coming together in huge numbers, and I think there will be some co-ordinated action.

“The Government must look at the huge vote for strike action across swathes of the civil service and realise it can no longer treat its workers with contempt.

“Our members have spoken and if the Government fails to listen to them, we’ll have no option than to launch a prolonged programme of industrial action reaching into every corner of public life.”

A Government spokesman said of the PCS ballot result: “We regret this decision and remain in regular discussion with unions and staff.

“As the public would expect, we have plans in place to keep essential services running and minimise any potential disruption if strikes do go ahead.

“The public sector pay awards are a careful balance between delivering value for money for the taxpayer and recognising the importance of public sector workers.”

The train drivers’ union Aslef announced its members at 12 operators will strike on November 26 in the long-running row over pay.

General secretary Mick Whelan said train companies continued to refuse to make a pay offer, adding: “They want drivers to take a real terms pay cut.”

The Rail Delivery Group said the strike will cause “real disruption” to passengers.

The Royal College of Nursing announced on Wednesday that its members had backed industrial action over pay, while other health workers are currently voting on industrial action.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×