Rail strikes to hit New Forest and Christchurch stations on 3rd, 5th and 7th November as postal workers, ambulance staff and nurses all face action
FRESH train strikes will hit the New Forest and Christchurch in November as employees across the country continue mass industrial action in search of better pay.
The RMT union says "coordinated" strike action will take place on three separate dates next month after Network Rail, it claims, went back on a pay offer.
Strikes on the rail network will now take place on Thursday 3rd November, Saturday 5th November and Monday 7th November.
It currently remains unclear how South Western Railway services will be affected by the three strikes, which will each last 24 hours, but previous action has seen all stations in the area shuttered, with reduced services elsewhere.
In a separate dispute RMT members working on London Underground and Overground networks also plan industrial action on November 3, which could further add to disruption on that date, particularly in and around the capital.
Railway workers are the latest employees to announce fresh strike dates – as they continue their quest for better pay in the face of an ongoing cost of living crisis – but the country is facing a wave of industrial action this winter with further threats this week from teachers, head teachers and Environment Agency staff.
Today thousands of Royal Mail workers will return to the picket lines – with fears that any unresolved dispute could spiral into December and impact Christmas shopping and delivery services.
On Monday (24th October) 15,000 ambulance workers will begin voting over possible strike action that could take place before Christmas, says union GMB, while the Royal College of Nursing is currently collecting votes from its members as it urges nurses to walk out in protest over the latest pay deal.
They will be followed on 11th November by the Royal College of Midwives that is then set to open ballots over possible action.
The Fire Brigades Union is also expected to launch a vote among its firefighters over strike action as it too rejects a government pay offer while it also emerged this week that beer supplies could be affected during the World Cup as a result of a strike later this month by 1,000 GXO delivery drivers who plan to walk out between 31st October and 4th November.
