Who is on strike today and how does it affect you? Daily update for March 14th

The Prime Minister has slammed the “disruption” caused by strikes as thousands of workers are set to walk again today.

Junior Doctors will begin their second day of action as NHS workers return to the picket line today.

Around 60,000 workers went on strike yesterday, today they are also joined by Ofsted employees and Amazon workers.

Later this week, teachers, bus, train and subway workers will also begin the campaign.

Thousands of teachers will also leave schools on Wednesday in a bitter dispute over pay – affecting around seven million students.

The London Underground is paralyzed the same day because of a consecutive strike by members of Aslef and the railway, shipping and transport union over pensions and working conditions.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he didn’t think it was right that “so much disruption” was being caused by industrial action as he defended his government’s anti-strike legislation.

Speaking to Sky News in San Diego, US, the Prime Minister said: “I don’t think it’s right that the lives of working families are being impacted so badly.

“That’s why, as Prime Minister, I introduced new legislation to ensure a minimum level of security in our critical public services like rail, education and healthcare.

“It’s precisely because I think people shouldn’t have this disorder in their lives that I’m getting this new law through Parliament.”

He further mentioned the measures taken to halve inflation and ease the burden of rising energy bills.

Mr Sunak said he took action on energy bills “because I know it was a priority to show people I’m on their side”.

Yesterday the government said it would start “detailed negotiations” with unions on teachers’ salaries after new talks at the education ministry, the head of the NASUWT union said.

dr Patrick Roach, its general secretary, said Education Secretary Gillian Keegan had briefed him on the Government’s “starting point” and that there was nothing standing in the way of “putting a deal on the table”.

NASUWT and school leaders union NAHT held separate talks with Ms Keegan on Monday and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is doing the same today.

dr Roach said: “Today’s meeting with the Secretary of State gave us the assurance we were looking for. Now nothing should stand in the way of detailed negotiations and a deal on the table.

“Ministers have heard from us and we have heard from them about their starting point for wage negotiations for this year and next.

“While there are numerous issues to discuss and much ground to gain, there is scope to find a basis for an agreement that all sides can support.

“The solution to our ongoing dispute with the government can only be reached through a negotiated settlement.”

Paul Whiteman, Secretary General of NAHT, said nothing had changed but sounded similarly hopeful of progress after his own meeting.

He said: “It’s a continuation of a positive dialogue that we’ve had.

“Nothing has changed in terms of an offer or the circumstances of getting everyone in the same room.

“But there is clearly a real desire to talk and there is a real desire on all sides to understand what the government wants to offer.”

Mr Whiteman said he didn’t know when negotiations might take place, but added: “That’s not to say I’m not without real hope and some expectations, but when it will happen I’m not sure.”

He continued, “Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a way to bring us all together and it’s certainly my preference that we meet together, not apart.

“Once the conditions are in place for us all to come into the space together, then I think progress can be made.”

The government has not met the National Education Union (NEU) for new talks ahead of its planned strike on Wednesday and Thursday, despite it being Britain’s largest education union.

Mary Bousted, their joint general secretary, accused Gillian Keegan of “playing politics” and said the individual meetings were not “formal” negotiations.

She said: “This is even more diversionary politics.

“The Education Secretary must call all education unions together to hold dispute settlement talks to resolve the issue of teachers’ pay in England.

“Gillian Keegan needs to take a leaf out of the Welsh Government’s book, stop playing politics and engage in serious negotiations.”

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