Strike news latest updates: Unison ambulance workers confirm new January walkout dates

ICYMI: Even when the NHS strikes finish, possibly moderation in ingesting is the way in which ahead. It’s good for the NHS, for all of the emergency providers, for households, relationships and our personal well being, writes Harriet Williamson:

Ambulance staff in Unison will stage two additional strikes on January 11 and 23 of their dispute over pay and staffing, the union has introduced.

Enterprise secretary Grant Shapps has known as on gas giants to provide motorists “a good deal”.

In a letter to retailers he mentioned it was regarding that margins – earnings – had risen 12 months on 12 months, forward of normal inflation.

Encouraging them to cross on financial savings to customers, he warns that the Competitors and Markets Authority will probably be investigating.

Employees have began a 24-hour walkout at offshore rigs.

Petrofac staff on Repsol installations within the North Sea began their two-day strike on Thursday, Unite mentioned, with a warning of extra walkouts to return.

Sharon Graham, the union’s normal secretary, mentioned the 170 staff concerned are taking the “newest motion because of a sequence of unacceptable pay affords”.

She added: “Unite’s members are watching offshore oil and gasoline giants mount up eye-watering earnings.”

Platforms affected embody Arbroath, Auk, Bleo Holm, Claymore, Clyde, Fulmar Alpha, Piper Bravo, Saltire, Tartan Alpha, and Flotta oil terminal.

The union additionally mentioned an extra strike will hit the Montrose platform between December 29 and 31.

Unite mentioned the dispute centred on the “elimination of a ten% equal time cost, years of under inflationary pay will increase, in addition to points round funds for Offshore Energies UK medicals, mileage and stand-in duties”.

As a part of a separate dispute, Petrofac staff at BP installations Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, and Glen Lyon floating manufacturing, storage and offloading facility, will start a 48-hour strike on December 29 to 31.

Occurring now: Simon Calder solutions your journey questions:

Street site visitors analysts anticipate journey occasions on principal roads to be round 14% longer than the identical interval final 12 months.

Roads more likely to be hit by congestion embody the M25, the M60 close to Manchester, the M6 in north-west England and the M40 in Oxfordshire.

Nationwide Highways mentioned nearly 98% of England’s motorways and main A-roads will probably be absolutely open till the top of January 2 because of it finishing and lifting roadworks.

AA head of roads coverage Jack Cousens mentioned: “We’re advising these heading out of their automobiles to be ready for some congestion, particularly on common routes heading out of London.

“The rail strikes have satisfied extra folks to journey by automobile this 12 months, and whereas lots of of miles of roadworks have been eliminated to ease the ache, it won’t be sufficient to maintain the queues away.”

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis mentioned there will probably be “two frantic days of travelling simply earlier than Christmas”.

Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue predicted journeys could be 14% longer, saying: “With pre-pandemic ranges of travellers hitting the street this vacation, drivers have to be ready for delays – particularly in and round main cities.”

Most trains don’t run on Christmas Day and Boxing Day anyway, however anybody who might need hoped to journey by rail on the 25 and 26 December will probably be hit by strikes, studies Joe Sommerlad:

Drivers are being warned to organize for lengthy queues as thousands and thousands of individuals embark on journeys to spend Christmas with family and friends.

The AA mentioned Friday could be the busiest day on the roads this week, with an estimated 16.9 million journeys being made throughout the UK.

An additional 16.6 million journeys are anticipated to be made on Christmas Eve, Saturday.

Congestion will probably be elevated because of a strike by hundreds of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Community Rail inflicting prepare providers to complete at round 3pm on Saturday.

The RAC mentioned roads could be busiest on Friday – the final working day earlier than Christmas – between 10am and 7pm.

Rain is forecast for the day, making driving riskier than normal.

Three Scottish island airports are closed for the second time this week as staff additionally take strike motion in a dispute over pay.

Barra, Benbecula, and Sumburgh airports shut on Thursday after members of the Unite union walked out.

Bosses at Highlands and Islands Airports Restricted (Hial) mentioned Stornoway Airport on the Isle of Lewis could be open from 1pm to 7.45pm and Kirkwall Airport on Orkney will open from 7.15am to 1pm, and just for inter-island flights.

Union members rejected the 5% pay rise they’ve been provided, with nearly three-quarters (73.5%) backing strikes in a poll.

Inglis Lyon, Hial managing director, has beforehand apologised for the disruption, saying: “We deeply remorse the disruption and inconvenience to our airline companions, passengers, and native communities that this motion will trigger.

“In opposition to the backdrop of unprecedented monetary pressures, we offered an enhanced pay supply to colleagues that maximised the flexibleness throughout the Scottish Authorities’s pay coverage, which Hial is sure by.

“We recognise the challenges colleagues face because of inflationary pressures and the cost-of-living disaster. Nonetheless, the declare for an increase of at the least RPI is unrealistic, and any additional supply have to be met from value financial savings inside present budgets.”

Unite confirmed that medical and different emergencies will probably be serviced from all Hial airports on each days.

Motoring assocation the AA has issued an amber warning to drivers as rail strikes push extra folks onto the roads and highways upkeep employees stroll out.

Edmund King, AA president mentioned: “Driving house for Christmas might spiral right into a site visitors nightmare if motorists get caught out.

“We’ve issued an amber site visitors warning for Friday and Christmas Eve because of an anticipated 17 million drivers on the roads.

“Native authorities and Nationwide Highways have cancelled non-essential roadworks this weekend, however even that might not be sufficient to cope with the swell in site visitors introduced on by the rail strikes.”

He mentioned that in keeping with information from the placement app what3words, a 3rd of normal prepare customers plan to journey by automobile this weekend as an alternative, “so motorists must be ready for delays and set off earlier if they’ll”,

Regional strikes by some Nationwide Highways staff and management centre employees might additionally stretch sources and will depart drivers extra susceptible on good motorways in the event that they break down he warned, though Nationwide Highways has harassed the results will probably be restricted.

“Some drivers on festive visits may be unfamiliar with good motorways. The Christmas journey scorching spots of the M25, M3 and M4 highlighted in our site visitors warning are lined by the regional management centre strikes on the finish of this week.”