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https://scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3189525/more-travel-chaos-london-transport-strikes-bring-city-halt Europe
More travel chaos as London transport strikes bring city to a halt – dockers, barristers, nurses plan action
- UK rail industry hit hard as inflation spurs demands for higher pay, yet government presses companies to trim costs to reflect drop in post-pandemic commuting
- Unrest includes an 8-day walkout by dockworkers at the country’s largest container port, while postal workers, barristers and even nurses plan strike action
Tube, rail and bus services are set to be severely disrupted in the capital as members of Unite and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union strike in a continuing row over pay, jobs and conditions. Photo: AP
London’s underground trains network largely ground to a halt on Friday as workers went on strike, bringing more disruption to Britain’s embattled transport system.
The one-day action falls between national rail strikes on Thursday and Saturday, and coincides with the start of a two-day walkout by bus drivers in west and southwest London. Transport for London, which operates the underground, known as the Tube, asked commuters to avoid travel if possible.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers said Tube staffers are striking over “attacks to pensions and jobs”.
Britain’s rail industry has been hit particularly hard by labour tensions as spiralling inflation spurs demands for higher pay, even as the government presses companies to modernise and trim costs to reflect a drop in commuting following the coronavirus pandemic. The ability of many people to work from home may blunt the impact of the Tube strike, as it has previous transport walkouts this year.
There’s been little sign of progress toward a resolution of the increasingly rancorous disputes, raising concern the sporadic stoppages could recur.
The RMT has accused Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of blocking a deal to resolve workers’ issues. The Department for Transport disputed Shapps’ involvement, and said it’s up to unions and employers to engage in “meaningful talks” to avoid damaging strike action.
Shapps blamed union chiefs for failing to put settlement offers to their members. “It’s time for the union bosses to get out of the way and put the deals on the table,” he told Sky News on Friday.
The labour action comes against a worsening economic backdrop. Inflation hit a four-decade high of 10.1 per cent last month, driving up the cost of everything from food to energy and clothing.
The Bank of England expects price growth to top 13 per cent in the coming months, sharpening the pain for consumers whose real wages are falling at a record pace. Consumer confidence fell to a record low this month.
The unrest hasn’t been confined to trains and buses. Dockworkers at Felixstowe, the largest container port, are staging an eight-day walkout beginning on Sunday, while 115,000 Royal Mail postal workers begin a series of strikes on August 26.
Barristers have staged walkouts in England and Wales and even nurses are planning to hold a strike vote.