Today, commuters in fury are venting their anger at “greedy” rail workers striking today. However millions of Britons living WFH enjoy taking it easy in their own homes.
Workers battling their way into the office today blasted 50,000 RMT members on £59,000-a-year on average who have brought Britain’s rail lines to a juddering halt.
While commuters across the nation brave the streets on Mick Lynch’s first mass walkout, millions of people celebrate the “perks” of WFH, including a cheeky lie in, prework exercise, the good weather and the company of their pets.
As commuters raged that the strikers will ‘gain zero support from the country after they took handouts’ during the pandemic, others at home are enjoying ‘saving £22’ on their morning commute – and even urged rail unions to ‘strike more often’.
The RMT union has been accused of ‘punishing millions of innocent people’ by pressing ahead with the walkouts, despite rail bosses offering workers a pay rise of at least 3 per cent – the same given last year to NHS staff who battled the Covid-19 crisis. To match inflation, they want an 11% increase.
RMT and Network Rail held talks until Monday afternoon but were still unable to reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
According to the RMT, the proposed pay was a 2 percent downpayment with the potential for 1 percent more.
It added that the train operators have now made an offer and there is no further offer from Network Rail following one rejected last Friday. London Underground workers representing the RMT or Unite unions will also strike today.
Britons have blasted the summer of discontent with ongoing airport chaos and petrol skyrocketing to £2 a litre.
Connor Tomlinson wrote Train and tube driver strike’. Coach fares have risen by over 30% and routes for train and tube drivers were cut. Fuel costs now at 17-year high due to tax and an artificial halt to our oil supply, Britain will return to horse and carriage very soon. This is because of causes that are so easy to avoid it’s difficult to not label sabotage.
Today was a chaotic morning for train passengers. Half of Britain’s railway network was closed, and just a fifth were running because of the largest strike in a generation by rail workers. Even if services continue, they’ll be restricted as no trains will travel after 6:30 pm this evening.
Thousands of members of RMT at Network Rail and 13 train operators ares striking today, Thursday and Saturday – in what hospitality chiefs believe will cost the tourism, leisure and theatre industries some £1billion in lost earnings.
The rail industry will also take a £150million hit at a time when pre-pandemic passenger numbers are yet to return. The taxpayer has also pumped in £16billion to keep the network going through the pandemic. These walkouts are expected to hinder millions’ ability to go to work, prevent vital medical appointments for patients and put undue strain on students studying.
Due to three days of strike action, millions of WFH-eligible people will have to walk or ride to work.
This strike was designed to cause severe disruption on non-strike day too. It could create six days of chaos, but it can last up to six months if no resolution is found.
Another critic said that ticket prices had risen by 35% and that the service was still terrible.
Another user thanked the strikes for their ability to let him work remotely in the sun.
Millions of people will be suffering from the effects of this week’s strike.
Parents and pupils are encouraged to devise an alternate plan to get to school on Tuesday or Thursday for the A-level/GCSE exam.
Motorists should expect an increase in traffic when train passengers move to roads.
The AA forecast that major motorway arteries will likely be the most severely affected, along with rural and suburban roads.
The cancellation of about half the Great Western Railway trains scheduled to service Castle Cary, Somerset between Wednesday and Friday is a result. These trains were carrying revellers from Glastonbury Festival between Wednesday to Friday.
Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary, said Network Rail has offered a 2% pay raise with the possibility to increase it by 1% later if efficiency is improved.
BBC Newsnight reported that Network Rail had escalated the matter during Monday’s talks. He said: “They sent me a notice saying there will be redundancies beginning in July.
“So instead of trying to reach an agreement in the dispute, they have escalated it by giving them formal notice that we are being laid off amongst Network Rail members.”
He warned the dispute could continue for months, adding: ‘It is clear that the Tory Government, after slashing £4bn of funding from National Rail and Transport for London, has now actively prevented a settlement to this dispute.
“The pay rates proposed by rail companies are now significantly lower than the applicable rates of inflation. This is in addition to pay freezes that were implemented over the last few years.
“Companies are seeking thousands of job losses at the direction of the government and they have not provided any assurance against forced redundancies.”
WATERLOO
VICTORIA – Members of the general public have been locked out Victoria Station during the first day in national rail strikes. The strike by rail workers over pay disputes will result in three-day closures of British railway stations.
VICTORIA: Victoria Underground Station will be closed today due to national rail strikes.
Grant Shapps (Transport Secretary) said ministers would amend the law to enable firms to bring in agency workers, which will minimize strike disruptions.
Sky News was informed by him that he would make certain there are additional safeguards for travelers, such as minimal service levels.
“That would mean that on a day such as today, a certain level service would still need to be run. However, changes would have to made to make it possible for workers to transfer. That’s an easier change than we can take.
We will make sure that passengers are protected in future strikes. Agency workers or transferable skills are one of the options.
Strikes of this magnitude have not been witnessed in decades, and they are expected to continue for several months.
“And we have a lot of technical modifications that can be made to the union laws in order to ensure public safety.”
His words were that law modifications would have to take place through secondary and primary legislation.
According to Mr Shapps, the strike action by the railroads has ‘taken us back to the terrible days of union strikes’ and he pledged to continue ‘pushing on with these reforms regardless’.
Sky News interviewed him: “I heard the unions claim it was about pay. It’s actually about job cuts. In fact, there is a salary offer and most job cuts are voluntary.
“So, it’s not necessary. It’s taking us back the bad days of union strike strikes. They’ve left now from negotiations declaring they are going to strike and calling for a resolution.
“We are going to have the to keep pushing for these reforms.”