Palace of Westminster security staff and DLR cleaners set to strike on New Year’s Eve
A year of industrial action will end with security guards and railway cleaners striking over pay disputes.
Nearly 300 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which provides security for the Palace of Westminster, will go on strike on New Year’s Eve.
This will be their fourth day on strike this year as they continue to argue over pay, terms and conditions.
PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “The employer reduced its members’ annual leave and falsely claimed staff had agreed to this.
“The recent cash offer offered to workers is nothing but an insult.”
Cleaning staff at Docklands Light Railway (DLR) will also strike on New Year’s Eve in a separate dispute over pay.
Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: “Cleaning staff at DLR do vital work to keep London’s transport network safe, clean and well-maintained.
“Transport for London, which oversees outsourcing contracts, must bring these services back online and pay workers decent sick pay if we are to avoid such disruptions in 2026.”
This adds to a persistent wave of strike action that has emerged despite the Labor government’s efforts to improve industrial relations throughout the year, following a period of extensive strikes under the previous Conservative government.
Long-running disputes characterizing 2025 include those involving junior doctors, Birmingham refuse collectors and Hull Trains drivers.
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