This Tuesday marks the largest strike in the UK in 30 years. Some 40,000 employees of the British railway manager Network Rail have resigned. Employees of thirteen train providers are also not working. Report that British media† Of the 20,000 services that normally run, only 4,500 are in operation on Tuesday.
The trains that do run start later and stop earlier, i.e. from 07:30 to 18:30. The London Underground will not run at all on Tuesday. The impact of the strike extends to Scotland and Wales. While train providers there are not involved in the strike, they cannot function properly if UK Network Rail employees are not working.
Travelers will in any case be affected by the strike for the rest of the week. Rail workers are on strike again on Thursday and Saturday. The RMT Union, the British transport trade union, previously said the strikes could last until the end of the year if demands are not heeded.
Pay raise
The union is demanding a wage increase of 7 percent, partly because of rising inflation. Network Rail previously proposed a 2 percent wage increase, which the union declined. RMT Union also asks for better employment conditions and security in the event of forced redundancy.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his cabinet on Tuesday that the strike is doing railway workers more harm than good, according to Reuters news agency. “By continuing these rail strikes, they are driving away commuters who will ultimately enable the jobs of railroad workers while the rest of the country is also affected by the strike.”
On Monday afternoon, unions, railway companies and government representatives were still in vain in talks in an attempt to avert the strikes. Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government is “doing its utmost” to end the strikes, but negotiations are largely a matter for the union and railway companies.