WEDNESDAY sees the beginning of a two-day strike by teachers in England who are members of the National Education Union (NEU). Teachers have been on strike several times since February, in an ongoing dispute over pay and funding reports the BBC.

It is expected to affect all schools in England and includes NEU teachers in sixth-form colleges.

During previous strikes on 28 February and 2 March, more than half of schools closed or restricted attendance.

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Wednesday will be the final full day of strike action this week by junior doctors in England, who are walking out over pay and and conditions.

During Monday and Tuesday, NHS managers reported that A&E units were busy as senior staff covered for striking doctors.

Junior doctors make up about 45% of the medical workforce, and two-thirds of them are members of the British Medical Association and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association unions which are organising the strike. 

They are planning on continuing walking out of emergency as well as planned care.

Consultants and other senior doctors are being drafted in to provide cover.

Planned appointments have been postponed, although how many is as yet unclear.

Industrial action by nurses over the winter caused some trusts to cancel 20% of routine treatments. It is likely the impact of the junior doctor strike will be greater, according to the BBC’s health correspondent, Nick Triggle.

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Up to 150,000 civil servants, working across more than 100 government departments and agencies, will be on strike.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services and Prospect unions are taking action in a dispute with the government over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.

The union said its members from 123 government departments would take part in the industrial action, which includes staff at the Department for Transport, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Home Office.

The PCS union represents thousands of people who work in government departments as well as those at organisations such as Ofsted, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Force.

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Transport for London (TfL) is warning Tube passengers there will be “little or no service” during Wednesday’s strike action by RMT and Aslef members.

Members of both unions are due to walk out in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions. 

TfL said the Elizabeth Line, Overground, DLR, trams and buses would be “busier than normal”.

It has advised passengers travelling on Wednesday to allow more time for their journeys and to check the latest information before they travel.

TfL also warned that the closure of Tube stations might mean some services would be unable to stop at all stations or run to their normal destinations.

Tube services on Thursday 16 March are expected to start later than normal.