Britain is facing a difficult period, with many employees across the public and private sectors walking out over the coming weeks. 

This morning, a month of rail disruption began, with workers across National Rail and 14 additional train companies walking out over jobs, pay, and conditions. 

Nationally, nurses are also preparing to undertake unprecedented strike action this month, the first time that there will be a national nursing strike in the UK. 

Additionally, Royal Mail workers, paramedics, border force, driving examiners, bus drivers, physiotherapists, and more are expected to strike, bringing services to a standstill. 

Read more: Darlington rail workers walk out with first 48-hour strike

Here are the strikes that will impact the North East and North Yorkshire before the end of December:  

Rail Workers

December 13, 14, 16, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27. 

Rail strikes are ongoing this month, with three unions (RMT, TSSA, and Unite) all staging walkouts. The dispute, over wages and planned changes to working practices, has been ongoing since June. 

In a statement, RMT said: "As a last resort, rail workers are taking strike action to defend their jobs, pay, and conditions". 

Bus Workers

December 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27. 

Bus drivers from multiple companies are set to continue their strikes over Christmas. 

In the North East, Stagecoach drivers in Sunderland are set to walk out and Go North East workers will be on strike. 

Unite, the union helping organise these strikes, confirmed engineers had rejected a 10 per cent pay increase, claiming it was a real-terms pay cut.

Royal Mail 

December 14, 15, 23, 24. 

Royal Mail workers are to strike across four dates in the coming month, in an escalating row over pay and pensions. These ongoing strikes have crippled the postal system in the UK ahead of the busiest period for postmen in the UK - but postal workers feel they have "no other option". 

Nurses

December 15, 20. 

Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will take part in industrial action across at least 177 NHS trusts on two dates in December, in pursuit of better pay.

This is the first nationwide nurse strike that the UK has ever seen. The North East will see nurses from multiple providers walk out, including Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and NHS England. 

The RCN has demanded a pay rise of five per cent above the Retail Price Index, which currently stands at 14 per cent. 

Ambulance Workers 

December 21, 28. 

Across the country, 10,000 ambulance staff are also set to strike over two days later in December. 

The unions set to strike (Unison, GMB and Unite) have specified that strikes will only affect non-life-threatening calls. 

All unions involved have asked for an above-inflation pay rise - though the governments in England and Wales have argued that they have given NHS staff an average rise of 4.75%, with a minimum £1,400 rise. 

Driving Examiners

Rolling strikes from December 13 to January 16. The Yorkshire and the Humber will be impacted from December 20, 21, 23. 

This part of the Public and Commercial Services union strikes, which expect to see civil servants walk out across 126 different areas. 

PCS has called for a 10 per cent pay rise, as well as better pensions, increased job security, and no cuts to redundancy terms. 

Read more: Mick Lynch clashes with Richard Madeley in fiery interview

National Highways Staff

December 16 and 17 (for the North East). December 22, 23, 24, 25 (for the rest of the country).

Control room staff and traffic officers are walking out, which could herald major disruption up and down the country as millions travel for the holidays. 

Members of PCS will take part in 12 days of industrial action nationally, in a row over pay and conditions. 

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Rural Payments Agency

December 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. 

In addition to driving examiners and national highways staff, the Rural Payments Agency will strike with the PCS this month. 

The RPA, which disperses funds for the agricultural sector, are striking for better pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms, as part of PCS's national campaign.