1 year ago
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By Zoe Conway
Employment correspondent
It might be a new year but for train travellers the advice will feel wearily familiar.
On Wednesday, people are being told to once again travel only if "absolutely necessary" due to services being cancelled and disrupted.
Only one in five trains is due to run.
But it's not just the railways that are affected by strike action.
Some road workers and driving examiners are also taking action, as demands grow for pay increases to keep up with rising prices.
This is my latest daily briefing, with lots of useful information.
Train strikes across England, Scotland and Wales
Workers from the UK's largest rail union, the RMT, are striking on four days this week - Tuesday and Wednesday, then again on Friday and Saturday.
The walkouts are part of a long-running dispute over pay, job security and conditions.
Many areas will have no trains at all.
Trains that do run will start later and finish much earlier than usual, with services typically running between 7:30am and 6.30pm on the days of the strike.
The advice is to avoid taking trains on Wednesday if you can, but if you must travel:
There is also a strike by train drivers in the Aslef union at 15 rail companies on Thursday in a dispute over pay.
It will add to major rail disruption this week, with Sunday being the only strike-free day.
But even then, there may be some knock-on disruption to services. That's because carriages, engines and staff may not be in the right place at the start of the day.
Upcoming strike action
THU 29 DEC
Rail disruption continues
- Staff at West Midlands Trains (WMT) and Great Western Railway (GWR) are on strike until midday
- This includes staff working in ticket offices, station management and guards
Border Force strikes
- Some Border Force staff are striking in England, Wales and Scotland meaning delays are likely for people arriving in the UK
- Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester airports, and the port of Newhaven, will be affected
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England and parts of London
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
FRI 30 DEC
Possible road disruption
- Some National Highways traffic officers are on strike in the West Midlands and south-west England
- The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents
Border Force strikes
- Some Border Force staff are striking in England, Wales and Scotland meaning delays are likely for people arriving in the UK
- Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester airports, and the port of Newhaven, will be affected
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England and parts of London
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
SAT 31 DEC
Possible road disruption
- Some National Highways traffic officers are on strike in the West Midlands and south-west England
- The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents
Bus drivers on strike
- Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action
- The routes affected are mostly in south and west London
Border Force strikes
- Some Border Force staff are striking in England, Wales and Scotland meaning delays are likely for people arriving in the UK
- Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester airports, and the port of Newhaven, will be affected
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England and parts of London
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
SUN 1 JAN
There are currently no national strikes planned for this date
MON 2 JAN
There are currently no national strikes planned for this date
TUE 3 JAN
Rail disruption continues
- The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are on strike
- The RMT strike will affect services in England, Scotland and Wales and people are being advised to avoid travelling if possible
Read more: What are the train strikes about?
Possible road disruption
- Some National Highways traffic officers across England are on strike
- The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England and parts of London
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
WED 4 JAN
Rail disruption continues
- The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are on strike
- The RMT strike will affect services in England, Scotland and Wales and people are being advised to avoid travelling if possible
Read more: What are the train strikes about?
Bus drivers on strike
- Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action
- The routes affected are mostly in south and west London
Possible road disruption
- Some National Highways traffic officers across England are on strike
- The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
THU 5 JAN
Rail disruption continues
- Train drivers across 15 rail companies represented by the Aslef union are on strike
- The rail companies affected are: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Northern/Thameslink, London North Eastern Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, SWR Island Line, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains
Read more: What are the train strikes about?
Bus drivers on strike
- Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action
- The routes affected are mostly in south and west London
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
FRI 6 JAN
Rail disruption continues
- The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are on strike
- The RMT strike will affect services in England, Scotland and Wales and people are being advised to avoid travelling if possible
Read more: What are the train strikes about?
Possible road disruption
- Some National Highways traffic officers are on strike in the East Midlands and eastern England
- The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
SAT 7 JAN
Rail disruption continues
- The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are on strike
- The RMT strike will affect services in England, Scotland and Wales and people are being advised to avoid travelling if possible
Read more: What are the train strikes about?
Possible road disruption
- Some National Highways traffic officers are on strike in the East Midlands and eastern England
- The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
SUN 8 JAN
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
MON 9 JAN
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
TUE 10 JAN
Bus drivers on strike
- Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action
- The routes affected are mostly in south and west London
Teachers in Scotland
- Some primary school teachers in Scotland are on strike
- Members of the NASUWT union are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay
Read more: Which schools will teachers' strikes affect?
Driving test centre strikes
- Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales
- The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams
WED 11 JAN
Ambulance staff on strike
- Ambulance staff in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West of England are on strike
- The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency
Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?
Teachers in Scotland
- Some secondary school teachers in Scotland are on strike
- Members of the NASUWT union are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay
Read more: Which schools will teachers' strikes affect?
THU 12 JAN
Bus drivers on strike
- Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action
- The routes affected are mostly in south and west London
FRI 13 JAN
There are currently no national strikes planned for this date
SAT 14 JAN
There are currently no national strikes planned for this date
SUN 15 JAN
There are currently no national strikes planned for this date
MON 16 JAN
Bus drivers on strike
- Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action
- The routes affected are mostly in south and west London
Teachers in Scotland
- Teachers in Glasgow and East Lothian are on strike
- Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay
Read more: Which schools will teachers' strikes affect?
TUE 17 JAN
Teachers in Scotland
- Teachers in Perth and Kinross and North Ayrshire are on strike
- Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay
Read more: Which schools will teachers' strikes affect?
WED 18 JAN
Nurses in England on strike
- Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are taking industrial action over pay
- Life-preserving treatment must be provided, and all nurses in intensive and emergency care are expected to work
Teachers in Scotland
- Teachers in Orkney and Fife are on strike
- Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay
Read more: Which schools will teachers' strikes affect?
THU 19 JAN
Nurses in England on strike
- Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are taking industrial action over pay
- Life-preserving treatment must be provided, and all nurses in intensive and emergency care are expected to work
Bus drivers on strike
- Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action
- The routes affected are mostly in south and west London
Teachers in Scotland
- Teachers in Moray and North Lanarkshire are on strike
- Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay
Read more: Which schools will teachers' strikes affect?
FRI 20 JAN
Teachers in Scotland
- Teachers in Angus and East Dunbartonshire are on strike
- Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay
Read more: Which schools will teachers' strikes affect?
SAT 21 JAN
There are currently no national strikes planned for this date
SUN 22 JAN
There are currently no national strikes planned for this date
Highway workers
If you're traveling by road on Wednesday, you could also face disruption, as some National Highways workers in England are striking.
The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union says more than 100 workers are walking out, although National Highways disputes this figure and says it's fewer than 20.
National Highways also insists it has "well-rehearsed resilience plans in place".
However, drivers have been warned that roads could be busy because of the industrial action taking place on the railways at the same time.
Cancelled driving tests
If you're hoping to pass your driving test, you may also be affected by walkouts.
Some driving examiners at the DVSA are striking as part of industrial action by the PCS union in a dispute over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.
Wednesday's action will affect driving test centres in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales.
The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams.
But not all driving examiners are members of the PCS so your test may go ahead as planned.
If you think your driving test will be affected by the strikes, here's what to do:
- If you want to change your test date, you can do so here. But you must give at least three working days' notice or you'll have to pay again
- If you don't want to change your date, you should still go to your driving test appointment unless the DVSA contacts you to tell you not to
- If your test cannot go ahead because of the strike, the DVSA will automatically rebook your driving test for you. The new test details will be sent to you within five to 10 working days
You can claim out-of-pocket expenses if your test is cancelled by filling out this form.
The full list of test centres that are affected by the strike can be found here.
Watch Make Sense of Strikes on iPlayer and find out more about why people are striking and whether industrial action works.
What about the other strikes?
Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action on Wednesday. The routes affected are mostly in south and west London.
From Wednesday teatime, we will have another strike briefing for you, to keep you informed.
How are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
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