Who is on strike today and how does it affect you?

After a winter marked by day-to-day strikes, spring seems no different.

Staff at two Scottish airports and driving examiners in England and Wales will retire today.

Prospective union members at Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial), a state-owned company, will go on strike at Stornoway Airport and Sumburgh Airport.

This includes firefighters, security guards, baggage handlers, ground staff and administrators.

Prospect, who represents public sector workers among others, turned down a wage offer of 5% – half the current rate of inflation, which has pushed up food and fuel prices.

The union says neither Hial nor the Scottish Government have proposed a “substantial” salary offer to help staff caught in a spiral during the cost of living crisis.

It comes after strikes ravaged regional airports across the Hial network in December and last month.

March’s wave of strikes will mean three more days of regional airport grounding – including Dundee and Irveness.

Jane Rose, Prospect Negotiator, said: “Our members in Fire and Security ensure Highland and Island airports operate safely and securely for the communities and businesses they serve.

“They do not deserve the significant real pay cut currently being offered.

“Members have resisted taking action for many months in hopes of avoiding disruption to their communities.

“However, we are in the midst of the worst cost of living crisis in 40 years and both HIAL and the Scottish Government have failed completely to push through a wage increase that adequately addresses this.

“Hence, we have no choice but to take this action.”

The employees of the Testing and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which carries out driving tests and monitors TÜV tests, face similar challenges.

Driver examiners in South West England and Wales who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are on strike today.

More than 1,600 DVSA employees will not show up for their shifts during the rollout of work stoppage days from March 8th to 28th.

This could mean disrupting some practical driving texts, but the UK government said theory tests should be fine.

PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka warned: “The more ministers choose to ignore members’ concerns about low wages, the angrier our members become.

“Our members cannot ignore the cost of living crisis. Ministers can resolve this dispute by putting money on the table.”

What could have been a triple strike of strikes has been reduced to two after a strike by ambulance workers in Wales was called off on Wednesday.

Unite members, who represent about a quarter of the workforce, were said to be picketing over threadbare wages and poor working conditions.

But UniteWales “paused” the industrial action after “progress” was made in talks with Welsh government officials.

A series of similar actions followed in February involving more than half of the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The Welsh Government sits at the negotiating table with three healthcare unions – Unite, GMB and the Royal College of Nursing.

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