UK ‘facing largest scale strikes since the 1980s’ as NHS set for biggest walkout in history

The biggest nursing strike in NHS history is set to go ahead according to union officials

The UK is facing the largest scale of industrial action seen since the 1980s in the lead-up to Christmas, according to new analysis.

The biggest nursing strike in NHS history is set to go ahead according to union officials, adding that “large swathes of the country” had voted for industrial action.

If the walkout goes ahead it will be the first national strike in the history of the Royal College of Nursing.

The RMT union has recently called off a series of strikes planned for November (EPA)

More than 300,000 members have been balloted over the action, though nurses in critical care units and A&E will be exempt from taking part.

Are you an NHS worker planning on striking? If so email zoe.tidman@independent.co.uk

Analysis by The Guardian found almost 1.7 million workers are either being balloted this month or have already voted to support strikes.

If all these people voted to strike - and walked out for just two days in the same month - then it would lead to the most disrupted month since September 1979, the paper reported.

They calculated that 3.4 million working days would be lost. This would be more than July 1989, when Britain was crippled by a national rail strike.

The RMT union has called off a rail strike but action is still expected on the London underground (AP)

The RMT union has recently called off a series of strikes planned for November. However disruption is still expected, and a strike is still going ahead on the London underground.

Transport for London said that there would be “limited or no” services on the Tube on Thursday 10 November.

The RMT union had planned strikes on 5, 7 and 9 November but it has now called them off. However the announcement was made too late to prevent disruption on 5 November, with only 20 per cent of services expected to run.

The Communication Workers Union are striking over pay and soaring inflation (EPA)

Postal strikes are expected to go ahead throughout November and early December.

The Communication Workers Union said that the strikes are taking place because Royal Mail has given workers a 2 per cent pay increase “at a time when RPI inflation is currently running at 11.8 per cent.”

Education workers are also being balloted for strike action and the National Education Union has said that strikes over pay and funding are likely to take place in January next year.