Thousands of Environment Agency workers in England will continue not attending incidents such as floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping in the early hours of this morning.
Staff in the Unison union began two days of industrial action on New Year’s Eve – meaning they will do only their contracted hours, take all scheduled breaks and rest in full between shifts, and will not accept any unpaid work at this busy time of year.
Employees are also refusing to volunteer for ‘on call’ cover for several days – with the Environment Agency normally ‘dependent on the goodwill of workers to step forward to handle unexpected incidents’.
The action will go through the night amid colder winter temperatures and rainfall, before ending at 9am on Monday.
Today is otherwise a quiet day for strikes across Britain – but this will not last.
Staff at the Environment Agency have been ‘driven to action as a last resort’ after being denied ‘a fair pay rise’ amid the cost of living crisis, Unison said.
They were offered 2% – less than a fifth of the lowest measure of inflation – plus a £345 payment.
Timeline of strikes over the next few weeks
– January 2
Unison staff at the Environment Agency will refuse to volunteer to attend incidents until 9am.
– January 3
RMT members at Network Rail to launch fresh strikes.
Rural Payments Agency (RPA) staff will resume their walkout.
All PCS members at National Highways, working for the traffic officer service, will take action.
– January 4
The DVSA driving examiners’ strike starts in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West.
Traffic officer service workers at National Highways will continue their walkout.
The RMT rail workers’ strike continues.
UK-wide National Highways strike continues.
RPA staff will continue their walkout.
London bus workers at Abellio to go on strike.
– January 5
Train workers at 15 operators with the Aslef union to stage a 24-hour walkout.
The DVSA strike continues in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West.
RPA staff will continue their walkout.
London bus workers at Abellio to go on strike.
– January 6
RMT rail workers will stage another 48-hour strike.
National Highways workers to stage a two-day action in the East Midlands and eastern England.
The DVSA strike continues in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West.
RPA staff to continue their walkout.
– January 7
The RMT rail workers’ walkout continues.
National Highways workers will continue their strike in the East Midlands and eastern England.
The DVSA strike continues in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West.
– January 8
The DVSA strike continues in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West.
– January 9
The DVSA strike continues in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West.
RPA staff to continue their walkout.
– January 10
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union will stage a national strike in primary schools, special schools and early years sites.
The DVSA strike continues in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West.
RPA staff to continue their walkout.
London bus workers at Abellio to go on strike.
– January 11
Unison members working for five ambulance services in England will stage a fresh walkout.
The GMB union, also representing ambulance staff, has now scheduled further strike action for this date.
EIS, joined by the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, will stage another national strike in secondary schools and secondary special schools.
RPA staff will continue their walkout.
– January 12
Workers on London’s Elizabeth line will go on strike.
London bus workers at Abellio will also stage industrial action.
RPA staff will continue their walkout.
– January 13
RPA staff to continue their walkout.
– January 16
EIS to stage a national strike for 16 consecutive days until February 2, which will see members in two local authorities strike each day.
London bus workers at Abellio will go on strike.
– January 18
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members in England will strike.
– January 19
London bus workers at Abellio will go on strike.
RCN members in England will continue their strike.
– January 23
Unison members working for five ambulance services in England will stage another walkout.
– January 25
London bus workers at Abellio will go on strike.
– January 26
London bus workers at Abellio will continue strike.
Low staffing has also placed extra pressure on staff who deliver vital services to protect communities and the environment.
An Environment Agency spokesman said plans were in place to minimise any disruption to essential work.
‘As a public sector organisation, the Environment Agency remains bound by the pay policy of the government of the day’, he added.
Many mass walk-outs are set to go ahead across Britain in January – including rail workers, teachers and nurses.
Commuters face fresh travel chaos on January 3 when RMT members at Network Rail will walk out once again.
Rural Payments Agency (RPA) staff will also resume their strikes.
Meanwhile, PCS members at National Highways, working for the traffic officer service, will take action.
Yesterday, national Highways workers continued their stage two-day action in all areas of the country.
The DVSA strike also continued in the West Midlands, the Eastern region and the East Midlands.
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