London strikes September and October 2023: What industrial action is happening this autumn?

The wave of industrial action sweeping the country is set to continue this autumn as workers across multiple sectors have announced a new wave of strike dates.

As the cost of living crisis continues, pay rises, either in line with inflation, or near to it, remain top of the agenda for all striking workers, along with an improvement to working conditions and preventing job cuts.

Here is the full list of work forces who are striking in the coming months.

London Underground strikes

Thousands of London Underground station workers will strike for two days in October, the RMT union announced earlier this month.

RMT members will walk out on October 4 and 6 over job losses and safety concerns.

The industrial action on October 4 coincides with a planned strike by Aslef members and with the end of the Tory party conference in Manchester.

The union says it has been locked in a long running dispute over 600 station staff cuts and “detrimental” working conditions since last year.

Safety concerns have been raised about fewer staff facing higher workloads, more lone working and increased fatigue.

The union said more than 3,500 of its members are involved in the dispute.

Train strikes

The train drivers’ union has announced two more days of strikes and an overtime ban over pay.

ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) members will walk out on Saturday September 30 and Wednesday October 4.

An overtime ban will be in place across the UK rail network on Friday September 29 and from October 2-6 (Monday to Friday).

The 16 train companies affected include Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, c2c, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Great Western Railway, Island Line, LNER, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

Announcing the strike, Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “While we regret having to take this action – we don’t want to lose a day’s pay, or disrupt passengers as they try to travel by train – the government, and the employers have forced us into this position.

“Our members have not, now, had a pay rise for four years – since 2019 – and that’s not right when prices have soared in that time. Train drivers, perfectly reasonably, want to be able to buy what they could buy four years ago.”

University strikes

Lecturers and other university staff across the UK are striking for five days as part of a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions.

The action by the University and College Union (UCU) at dozens of UK institutions coincides with Freshers’ Week for many first-year students.

UCU members at 34 universities have been striking for five consecutive days from Monday 25 to Friday 29 September.

The London universities affected include Birkbeck, University of London, Brunel University, University of Greenwich, Kingston University, London Metropolitan University, London Metropolitan University, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music, Royal Holloway, University of London, Trinity Laban, University of the Arts London and Westminster University.

Staff at more than 140 universities were due to take part, according to the UCU.

However, many UCU branches withdrew from coordinated strike action after constructive talks with their individual universities where they agreed to stop pay deductions during the marking boycott that took place this year.

Junior doctors and consultants strikes

Junior doctors and consultants belonging to the British Medical Association (BMA) will go on a coordinated strike together in the coming months.

Both consultants and junior doctors will strike together on October 2, 3, and 4.

Staff will work on a “Christmas day cover” basis for both spells of industrial action, meaning emergency care will continue to be provided.

The action comes after junior doctors voted in favour of continuing strike action, with the BMA’s mandate on industrial action renewed for another six months.