MINISTERS are gathering for an emergency cobra meeting TODAY as a week of industrial action is set to cause chaos in the NHS.
Thousands of nurses will walk out of NHS trusts tomorrow in a major industrial dispute over pay and working conditions.
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And on Wednesday ambulance staff are set to do same.
Nurses and medical emergency workers have been offered pay hikes of around 4.75 per cent by the independent pay review bodies.
But unions say the figure isn’t enough and in a cost of living crisis should exceed the 10.7 per cent inflation rate.
Around 1,200 soldiers and 1,000 civil servants will be drafted into the health service to cover for striking ambulance workers on Wednesday.
Forces personnel will drive emergency vehicles but NHS bosses have warned the sick and frail may have to get taxis or drive themselves to hospital.
Last week 9,999 nurses in England took part in the first strike in their union’s history.
And with an agreement between union leaders and ministers far from sight, this morning there were warnings industrial action could continue for another SIX months.
Patricia Marquais, England Director at the Royal College of Nursing, told Times Radio: “Sadly if there is no resolution, then our members have taken a vote to take strike action and that mandate lasts for six months.
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“I really hope and I pray that that is not what happens.We do not want to see protracted strikes, nor do we want to see further disruption to the NHS and to the services that patients need.”
To limit danger this week, hospitals are scrambling to get patients home before industrial action kicks off.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said his top priority is keeping patients safe.
Away from the NHS, airports will be plunged into chaos from Friday when around 1,000 Border Force officials begin their industrial action.
The strike, hitting at the heart of the Christmas getaway rush, will last until Boxing Day.
It will then resume on December 28 until New Year’s Eve.
Passport control desks at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow airports will all be affected.
This morning passengers at Heathrow complained of waits as long as FOUR HOURS for luggage to arrive.
Baggage handlers were due to go on strike last Friday, but industrial action was narrowly avoided so last minute talks between unions and employers could take place.
Nonetheless, today British Airways passengers complained of disarray in Heathrow as bags failed to show up on the conveyer belt.
Blame has been apportioned to bad weather.
One angry passenger posted on social media: “Chaos at @HeathrowAirport tonight, 0 ground staff to get us off the plane & no baggage handlers so all sent home without our cases. Off to see my friends and family with 1 outfit & 0 Xmas presents. MERRYYY CHRISTMAS.”
A spokesperson from BA said: “We’re doing everything we can to reunite our customers with their delayed baggage as soon as possible. We apologise for the delay and inconvenience caused.”
On the railways, commuters in London and surrounding areas complained of no services running despite strikes not being scheduled to take place today.
More than 40 stations were affected this morning including Whitton, Hampton Court, St Margarets and Strawberry Hill.
Rail chiefs blamed chaos surrounding strikes for the cancellations and delays.
Great Western Rail tweeted: “From Monday 19 to Friday 23 December a full timetable will be in operation. However, due to ongoing industrial action there could be short notice alterations and cancellations.”
And South Wester Railways said: “SWR has more than 2,100 RMT members who are eligible to strike. With Network Rail maintenance staff and signallers also taking action, we are reliant on contingency managers to keep as many trains as we can running, while always prioritising safety.
“We have prioritised the limited resources we have to keep our busiest routes open where possible, but regrettably we cannot cover all our routes.”
What days are the strikes planned for?
In December, strikes are planned to take place almost every day of the month in the lead up to Christmas.
Here’s a look at the days that strike action is set to take place and which sectors are walking out.
Royal Mail
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are set to take their first day of strike action.
They have notified Royal Mail that they will be calling on their members who collect, sort and deliver parcels and letters to take strike action over a period of four days.
The strike action will take place on December 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24.
How will I be affected?
Royal Mail has warned that while it will be trying to keep services up and running, the strike action is likely to cause disruption.
It previously warned that it will try and deliver as many parcels sent as special delivery and Tracked24 and will prioritise prescriptions and Covid testing kits.
The postal service recommends that people post items as early as possible before strike dates, and that collections will be less frequent on days of strike action.
Can I avoid the strike action?
Royal Mail is asking customers to post their mail earlier than usual for Christmas this year.
The company is bringing forward its latest recommended posting dates for domestic and international mail to help manage any impact from the strike.
To avoid your post being delayed, make sure you make a note of the last recommended posting dates.
Here’s what days you’ll need to have sent your Christmas post by:
- December 3 (originally December 9) – Greece, Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia) and Turkey
- December 5 (originally December 10) – Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA and Canada
- December 7 (originally December 12) – Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Slovakia
- December 9 (originally December 14) – Belgium, France and Luxembourg
- December 12 (originally December 19) – 2nd class, 2nd class signed for and Royal Mail 48
- December 16 (originally December 21) – 1st class, 1st class signed for, Royal Mail 24 and Tracked 48
- December 19 (originally December 22) – Royal Mail tracked 24
- December 21 (originally December 23) – Special Delivery Guaranteed
Could I get compensation?
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you are due a refund on the extra charge you paid to get next day delivery if your parcel doesn’t arrive in that time frame.
Moneycomms personal finance expert Andrew Hagger previously told The Sun: “If you shelled out extra for special or faster delivery and your order gets to you later than was specified, you can claim back the extra delivery cost as the service wasn’t delivered as per your agreement.”
But you should claim this money back the money from the retailer – not the parcel firm.
If your parcel goes missing, you should contact the shop you bought it from to sort it out.
Before you order your package, ensure you read the seller’s delivery terms and conditions.
Rail strikes
Rail strikes are continuing this month as workers dispute pay, job cuts and working conditions.
From Tuesday, December 13, thousands of members of the RMT union working for Network Rail and 14 rail operating companies are set to stage strikes.
Those walking out will include signalling staff, whose absence is likely to cause great disruption along main lines, while smaller lines will have no trains.
The strikes will run from December 13-14 and 16-17, with more set for January 3-4 and 6-7.
However, members of Unite at Network Rail, who were set to join RMT members, have accepted a pay offer and have called off their planned strikes.
Unite national officer Harish Patel said: “Unite’s members have voted in favour of accepting an improved offer put forward by Network Rail.
“Industrial action by our members scheduled to take place over December and January will now not take place.”
Unite represents electrical control room operators.
How will I be affected?
If you’re looking to travel over Christmas, you will want to double check the train timetable to make sure your service is running.
The National Rail journey planner is the best way to check if your journey has been affected by the strike – this is available on its website and app.
While the rail industry says it is working hard to minimise the effect this will have on services, it is “inevitable” that services will be cancelled.
It is likely there will be a very limited service, with trains running at all on some routes.
Can I avoid the strike action?
Unfortunately, there is little you can do to avoid the strike action.
People are advised not to travel during the strikes if possible and use alternative transport means.
Advance tickets may be accepted on different trains and routes during the strike.
But again, this will depend on individual operators.
Travellers are advised to contact train companies directly for more information.
You can contact your train firm by phone, email or social media.
Can I get compensation?
If you have bought an advance train ticket and it’s affected by the strikes, you will be able to claim at least some of your money back.
National Rail said this applies to journeys that have been cancelled, rescheduled or delayed.
The process varies depending on the train operator, but normally you will need to contact the company, provide a picture of your ticket and details of the train you were supposed to be on.
This is part of what’s called “Delay Repay”.
The scheme will give pay-outs to customers if their train has been delayed by a certain amount of time.
How much you get depends on the train operator, the type of ticket and how long the delay was.
In order to claim you’ll need a photo or screenshot of your ticket. If it’s an eticket this needs to include the barcode.
If you’re a season ticket holder, you’ll need to provide a scan of your photocard.
You’ll need your booking confirmation containing your booking reference, journey details and the cost of your ticket.
If you don’t have your ticket then you’ll need to provide a receipt with your journey details and the price paid.
Season ticket holders should be able to claim back 100% of the usual compensation should they decide not to travel on any of the strike days, even if their train hasn’t been cancelled.
This won’t apply to the non-strike days, however, even though services will still be affected by the industrial action.
DWP Staff
Households are due to be hit by benefits chaos as the DWP announce the dates staff will strike over Christmas.
Union members at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are set to walk out for two weeks over the festive period.
The industrial action will start on December 19 and finish on December 30.
Around 200 back office benefits staff are expected to take part along with 30 at three offices in Liverpool and one in Doncaster.
The strike is not expected to affect anyone’s benefits payments but the union expect to disrupt benefit “conditionality” interviews which would usually lead to sanctions.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union strike is on nine days – December 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31.
How will I be affected and can I avoid the strike?
Strike action could cause disruption, delays and potentially cancellations in the run up to Christmas.
There is little you can do to avoid the strike action – but it’s worth checking your flight status before you head to the airport.
You should be able to do this by visiting the airline’s website.
Can I get compensation?
If your flight is cancelled then depending on the circumstances, you may be able to get a refund or compensation.
If you have travel insurance, you should check with your provider what you could get back.
Most passengers will also be protected by so-called Denied Boarding regulations.
Under these, you should be offered a full refund for a cancelled flight or a seat on the next available flight or one at another time.
If you’re left waiting at an airport because of a cancellation, you should be given a food voucher or overnight accommodation and transfers where necessary.
Your airline should have details of your rebook and refund options.
If you booked through a travel agent or tour operator, you will need to contact them directly.
Food delivery
The employees who work delivering food to KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Wagamama are set to strike over a real terms pay cut.
They are members of the GMB Union working at Best Food Logistics, which delivers food to big fast-food chains.
The exact dates of the strike are yet to be announced.
A majority of 76% of those who voted were in favour of industrial action, according to GMB.
The drivers, who also deliver fresh food to the likes of Pizza Express and Zizzi, will reportedly announce strike dates imminently.
GMB claims the action will lead to shortages at these restaurants over Christmas.
How will I be affected and can I avoid the strike?
If you’re planning a festive meal, or you want to treat yourself after a spot of Christmas shopping, you may want to plan ahead.
You could call your local restaurant or branch before you visit to avoid disappointment.
Beer
Workers at brewers Greene King will go on strike in a row over pay.
Unite said 188 of its members based in Bury St Edmunds, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, and Abingdon, Oxfordshire, will walk out for five days from today.
Nearly 200 staff will stage 48-hour walkouts from December 21 and December 28 in a row over pay, union sources say.
The workers brew and distribute Greene King’s products including IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale.
Unite said members voted for strike action after Greene King offered them a 3% pay rise and a one-off payment of £650, which it described as a substantial real-terms wage cut because of inflation.
How will I be affected and can I avoid the strike?
Everyone likes a Christmas tipple, and if you’ve organised some festive drinks, you may want to check they are stocking your favourite booze in advance.
Nurses
NHS nurses are also set to walkout, with up to 100,000 nurses striking on December 15 and 20 in their first ever national strike.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has slammed the planned walkouts, saying they pose a “significant risk” to patients.
How will I be affected?
The strike is set to cause massive disruptions to healthcare work across the country.
Up to 15,000 operations could be cancelled just next week.
This new wave of delays come as 7.2million patients remain on waiting lists across England – 400,000 of which have already waited a year or more, Daily Telegraph analysis has found.
Border Force
Around 1,000 border force agents are also striking over the festive period.
The staff will walkout for eight days over Christmas and New Year.
How will I be affected and can I avoid the strike?
The strike will affect Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester airports, as well as the port of New Haven.
Teachers
Thousands of teachers across the country already walked out on December 7 and 8, with more expected to follow.
Primary and special school teachers will strike on January 10, and those in secondary and secondary special schools set to walk out on 11 January.
What other strikes are taking place in December?
On December 7 to 8, Members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association and NASUWT will strike in Scotland.
Security staff working for Eurostar, who are members of the RMT, will begin the first of four days of walk-outs on December 16.
However, disruption to lines is not likely to be caused.
On December 20, nurses from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are due to strike once more.
