From the frontline to the breadline – NHS strike rolling report

Follow here for news and views on the latest day of NHS industrial action

Waterloo picket from 11 January with ad van in the background

7:00pm While the live coverage will stop here, there will be strikers on picket lines until 11pm tonight, so keep honking those horns and keep tweeting or posting your support to Facebook.

And to the strikers – wrap up warm, stock up the brazier and get home safe when you’re done.

Unison members out on strike at Huyton Ambulance Station, Liverpool, UK. Photo©Steve Forrest/Workers’ Photos

UNISON’s president, Andrea Egan on a picket in the North West.

Photo©Steve Forrest/Workers’ Photos

6:30pm Around the country, right now, thousands of NHS workers are gathered around thinking: “Oof, I’m glad someone brought a brazier”. Stay warm out there. #BraziersOfInstagram

Unison members out on strike at Huyton Ambulance Station, Liverpool, UK. Photo©Steve Forrest/Workers’ Photos

Photo©Steve Forrest/Workers’ Photos

6:05pm You say ‘purple’, I say ‘pink’ – there’s only one thing for sure … sunset hasn’t sent anyone home in the North East.

5:50pm UNISON’s Greater London regional secretary Jo Galloway speaking to Sky News this evening.

5:30pm A scene that has been mirrored across the country today. Ambulance crews are still responding to emergency calls to provide ‘life and limb’ cover.

5:10pm Earlier this afternoon, two more ambulance workers explain why they’re striking.

4:55pm Honk Update: After a brief lull over lunchtime, HPH – Honks per Hour – has picked up over the school run and and into commute-o’clock, experts predicting a peak at 5:37pm.

4:35pm Now is around about the time we start to enter ‘The Pink Zone’ – as the sun goes down and some of the picket lines start to be lit up by our fantastic ad-vans.

UNISON ambulance workers at Deptford in front of a giant pink ad-van which reads 'From the Frontline to the Breadline

4:10pm Sky news reporting from Waterloo this afternoon.

3:55pm A beautiful series of portraits of strikers at Docklands, taken by our very own Jo Whelan.

Striking UNISON members at Deptford - Jo Whelan

Striking UNISON members at Deptford - Jo Whelan

Striking UNISON members at Deptford - Jo Whelan

Striking UNISON members at Deptford - Jo Whelan

3:35pm Some emergency cold weather gear being knitted on the picket in Plymouth – fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

3:25pm Taking “they’ll grow into it” to extremes down at the London Ambulance Service.

https://twitter.com/unisonglr/status/1617540264524132358?s=20&t=VN9p7T-u5CLKZU4tk_E-SA

3pm And here’s Judy explaining why she’s on strike in the South West.

https://twitter.com/UNISONSW/status/1617416971104014337

3pm It’s a double dose of cuteness from Redcar in Northern region!

2:55pm Lorraine from Runcorn explaining why she’s taking strike action.

2:55:pm There are plenty of smiles – and the occasional scowl – on picket lines today.

https://twitter.com/unisonglr/status/1617534085546770433

2:50pm BBC News has been talking to UNISON strikers in Leeds – and Sara Gorton.

https://twitter.com/unisonyh/status/1617533885839212546

2:45pm Paul, a senior paramedic in Warrington, and Louis, an emergency call handler in London, explain their reasons for being on strike today.

2:30pm UNISON head of health Sara Gorton is in Yorkshire and Humberside today – and had this message of thanks to all on strike.

2:25pm Regional secretary Jo Galloway has been with strikers on the picket line in Deptford, London – and reports a great atmosphere.

2:15pm Sky News has interviewed UNISON’s deputy head of health, Helga Pile, at the ambulance picket at Waterloo in London.

2:10pm And there’s now footage of Billy Bragg entertaining strikers at Yeovil Ambulance Station earlier today!

https://twitter.com/UNISONSW/status/1617508982486081536

2pm And for further reading matter, after former Conservative health secretary made approving comments on Friday about charging NHS patients to visit their GPs and A&E, former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown has penned a piece in the Guardian about the threat to our health service.

1:45pm In Case you missed it earlier, you can read general secretary Christina McAnea’s on what – or who – is stopping a resolution of the dispute.

1:30pm Assistant general secretary Liz Snape has joined pickets in Liverpool today.

1:20pm And don’t forget that canine support is appreciated too!

https://twitter.com/unisonyh/status/1617508586451570689

1:00pm Don’t forget you can show your support for UNISON’s NHS strikers with just the click of a button – use our template tweet just like the below.

Tweet your support

12:40pm Not sure what’s more surprising in this photo, Billy Bragg – guitar in hand – on our picket line, or the fact that there’s someone in nothing but T-shirt in this weather. Either way, Yeovil doing us proud.

12:30pm From paramedics to control room staff to clinical education, the whole team are out at Docklands today.

https://twitter.com/unisonglr/status/1617495543076241409

12:15pm Today, Liverpool hospitals are joining the strikes for the first time in this dispute – this means that nurses, porters, HCAs (healthcare assistants), AHPs (allied health professionals) among many other professions are out picketing with their ambulance colleagues

12:00pm Early reports suggest pickets around the country are experiencing a large uptick in HPH (Honks per Hour) today, more to follow.

11:35am UNISON’s Annette Heslop (nurse) and Glen Carrington (paramedic) were featured over the weekend in the Guardian where they explained why they voted to strike.

11:25am Meanwhile MPs have been joining UNISON’s NHS pickets across the country this morning.

Andy McDonald MP and Alex Cunningham MP on a picket line at Middlesborough

MPs Andy McDonald (3rd from right) and Alex Cunningham (4th from right) on a picket in Middlesborough

Emma Lewell-Buck MP aon a picket line at South Shields

Emma Lewell-Buck MP (3rd from left) on a picket in South Shields

IAN LAvery MP on a picket line at Ashington

MP Ian Lavery (3rd from left) at the Ashington picket

10:55am And here are some of the graphic that you can use to show your support.

10:50am UNISON head of health Sara Gorton was featured in The Observer just over a week ago, talking about the strikes.

Read what she had to say.

10:05am And members are out again in Yorkshire and Humberside too.

https://twitter.com/unisonHERHealth/status/1617429950335705088

9:55am A big UNISON ‘hello!’ to our members out on the picket lines in the South West – they really do need a brazier today!

https://twitter.com/UNISONSW/status/1617429702213308418

9:35am General secretary Christina McAnea asks why the chancellor isn’t acting to resolve the strike when he knows how to.

Blog: Why won’t the chancellor resolve the NHS strike?

8:55am UNISON head of health Sara Gorton has been on BBC Breakfast to talk about how the strikes can be resolved.

8:55am We know who’s blocking a resolution to this strike.

8:15am Honk if you support the strikers!

Pickets at Deptford with 'honk your support' placard

Find out what you can do to support the strikers – including honking your support – here.

8:05am Christina McAnea is already on the case, highlighting early picket lines across the regions. You can follow the general secretary via Twitter at twitter.com/cmcanea.

https://twitter.com/cmcanea/status/1617423049216884738

8:00am Good morning all. This is the start of another historic day, as UNISON members working in the NHS across England take a third day of industrial action.

We will be bringing you reports from around the regions, so stay tuned.

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Industrial action

Taking industrial action is a big step for any union. And with a raft of legislation surrounding any form of industrial action, from ballots to picketing, great care is essential when taking action. But there are a couple of general principles to bear in mind.

Industrial action

Industrial action occurs when members of a trade union organise into a group that either refuses to work, or refuses to work in the way employers want. Industrial action may take place when no resolution has been found in bargaining and negotiation with the employer.