Unite Union Leads London Transport Walkouts Over Heat Protections

Transport drivers in parts of London conducted mass walkouts on August 17, 2026, after temperatures reached 34C. The industrial action was led by the Unite union, which sought to secure better worker protections for employees operating during extreme heatwaves.

While organizing the strikes to protect workers from climate-driven heat, the union simultaneously pressured the government of Andy Burnham to license the Jackdaw gasfield and the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea.

Critics have described these dual positions as incompatible. Opponents of the union's strategy argue that Unite should prioritize transitioning worker skills into the renewables economy rather than supporting the continued extraction of hydrocarbons.