When are there strikes this week? The full list of train, Tube and doctors’ strikes in October 2023

Strike action has now been disrupting key UK services for well over a year, as unions fight for better pay and conditions for their members.

Consultants and junior doctors recently staged a historic joint strike and have further walkouts planned for this month.

Train drivers are also taking strike action as their long-running dispute with rail companies over pay continues.

Meanwhile, London Underground workers and university staff will also be striking.

Here are all the major strikes scheduled for October 2023, broken down by industry.

Rail strikes

Aslef members working at 16 rail companies will strike on Wednesday 4 October.

The union is also implementing a ban on working overtime on Friday 29 September and from Monday 2 to Friday 6 October.

The following operators will be affected by the action:

• 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, including Gatwick Express
• South Western Railway
• TransPennine Express
• West Midlands Trains

Aslef said the action will “force the train operating companies to cancel all services and the ban on overtime will seriously disrupt the network”.

Tube strikes

London Underground workers will strike on Wednesday 4 and Friday 6 October in their long-running dispute over jobs and conditions.

The walkout involves more than 3,500 station staff working on the Tube. The RMT has warned it will “shut down” the network.

Services are also likely to be disrupted the morning after strike action.

Doctors’ strikes

Junior doctors and consultants united to take joint strike action over pay for the first time in the history of the NHS.

The British Medical Association (BMA) confirmed that NHS workers would walk out over three days in October. Junior doctors from the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association – the hospital doctors’ union – are joining the strike.

Consultants walked out on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 September, and junior doctors took action on Wednesday 20, Thursday 21 and Friday 22 September.

Both consultants and junior doctors will strike again on Monday 2 October, Tuesday 3 October, and Wednesday 4 October.

Emergency services will be staffed and there will be some basic level of cover on the wards.

Routine services, including non-emergency operations and appointments, will be disrupted but patients should be told in advance of any postponements.

People needing emergency care are advised to use A&E units as normal or call 999. For other concerns, 111 or GP services should be used – although they may be subject to disruption as some junior doctors work as GP trainees.

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University strikes

Support staff at 17 universities in England, including cleaners and librarians, will strike in an ongoing dispute over pay.

Unison is demanding “a fair wage rise after many years of below-inflation increases” and said its members will walk out on Monday 2 and Wednesday 3 October.

You can find a full list of dates and affected institutions here.

Bus strikes

Bus drivers at Go North East are on strike as part of a dispute over pay.

The action started on Saturday 30 September and is to run until Friday 6 October. More strikes are planned for Saturday 14 October to Friday 20 October.

Consett, Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main (North Shields), Sunderland and Washington depots will all be affected.