What strikes are taking place in December 2022? Industrial action in the lead up to Christmas - including RMT

As excitement is building throughout the United Kingdom in the lead up to Christmas, attention is also turning to what will be a period of mass disruption. Hundreds of thousands of workers from a number of industries are set to go on strike sometime in December with disputes over pay, jobs, pensions and conditions.

Railway staff from The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) recently confirmed additional strike dates over the festive season. Curtailing some of the last trains before Christmas, industrial action will now also take place from 6pm on December 24 (Christmas Eve) to December 27.

It joins a growing list of professions that will walk out over the course of the month and in some cases into 2023. Including NHS nurses, ambulance personnel, Royal Mail postal workers, bus drivers and many more.

Trade unions are fighting to give members a better and more supportive package as the UK continues to suffer as a result of the ongoing cost of living crisis. The inflation rate in the country now stands at a 40-year high of 11.1%.

All the strike action is sure to disrupt a number of people’s plans over Christmas, whether it be travelling home to reunite with friends and family, or getting deliveries of last-minute presents. Here is a list of all the planned strike action taking place in the UK in December 2022.

Railway strikes

RMT members are set to go on strike on a number of occasions throughout the month and into the start of next month. Over 40,000 workers will walk out on the following dates:

• Tuesday, December 13
• Wednesday, December 14
• Friday, December 16
• Saturday, December 17
• Saturday, December 24
• Sunday, December 25
• Monday, December 26
• Tuesday, December 27
• Tuesday, January 3
• Wednesday, January 4
• Friday, January 6
• Saturday, January 7

National Rail and 14 major operators will be affected with 80% of services likely to be cancelled on strike days. There will also be a knock on effect in days following industrial action.

RMT issued an official statement which says: “The rail industry is working hard to minimise the effect that this will have on services but it is inevitable that services will be cancelled or severely disrupted. It is likely that there will be a very limited service on these days with no trains at all on some routes.”

Avanti West Coast workers are also set to walk out from December 11 to December 12. While those at East Midlands Railway will go on strike from December 23 to December 24.

To find out if your railway travel plans have been affected, National Rail will update its journey planner closer to the time.

While Aslef train drivers representing 15 companies will stage a fresh strike in at the start of January in a long-running row over pay. Though not taking place in December, rail workers will walk out on January 5.

Nurse strikes

It was announced that NHS nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will stage what is set to become the biggest strike in the history of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). As many as 100,000 members from 65 NHS organisations will walk out in December 2022.

Industrial action will take place for two days on December 15 and December 20, though it is only scheduled for 12-hour intervals. The strikes will take place from 8am to 8pm on both days.

Maternity and A&E services will be among those that will be faced with disruption on strike days. Though sick babies and infants, as well as patients undergoing cancer and dialysis treatments, are among those protected from the industrial action.

The aim is for nurses to get better pay that is five-percent above the rate of inflation. There is also discontent surrounding working conditions.

Royal Mail strikes

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) had voted for strike action and have already walked out in recent months, such as on Black Friday. Royal Mail claims that the disruption has already cost it £100 million as it continues to draw up “well-developed” contingency plans.

Royal Mail workers will continue to strike on the following days in December:

• Friday, December 9
• Sunday, December 11
• Wednesday, December 14
• Thursday, December 15
• Friday, December 23
• Saturday, December 24

It will not be delivering letters or parcels to customers at any point during days of strike action, unless they have been deemed as special deliveries. Royal Mail are said to prioritise the delivery of Covid-19 test kits and prescriptions.

People are advised to post items as early as possible, as well as to continue posting items at post boxes and post offices. Be aware that collections will be less frequent.

Ambulance strikes

Unison, Unite and GMB Union have confirmed that thousands of members, such as those who are 999 call handlers and paramedics, will strike in the lead-up to Christmas. It will take place on Wednesday, December 21 and Wednesday, December 28 for the following nine ambulance service trusts:

• South West Ambulance Service 
• South East Coast Ambulance Service 
• North West Ambulance Service 
• South Central Ambulance Service 
• North East Ambulance Service 
• East Midlands Ambulance Service 
• West Midlands Ambulance Service 
• Welsh Ambulance Service 
• Yorkshire Ambulance Service 

The decision of more than 10,000 workers to strike has been motivated by ambulance workers “turning to food banks” this Christmas.  Members from a number of trusts will also walk out, with the union assuring the public that patients will always come first and there will be emergency cover during the strike action.

Further dates for strike action in 2023 will be confirmed in due course. It is understood that the ballot has been opened to other NHS workers in January as action to improve pay and staffing levels goes a step further.

Road worker strikes

Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have voted for strike action that will take place through December and into the start of 2023. It will affect different parts of the UK at different times.

• Tuesday, December 16 - North East, North West, Yorkshire
• Wednesday, December 17 - North East, North West, Yorkshire
• Thursday, December 22 - London, South East
• Friday, December 23 - London, South East
• Saturday, December 24 - London, South East
• Friday, December 30 - West Midlands, South West