Some of the more than 40,000 railway workers who are going to strike on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday have gathered on the picket lines since dawn, leaving the network idle and the large stations deserted. The London Underground has also been closed, mostly due to a separate strike. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under pressure to do more to help British households facing the worst economic downturn in decades, said industrial action would hurt businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The unions said railway strikes could mark the beginning of a “summer of dissatisfaction” with teachers, doctors, garbage workers and even lawyers moving into industrial action as rising prices rose. and fuel pushes inflation to 10%. read more “The British worker needs a pay rise,” Mick Leeds, secretary general of the Railroad, Shipping and Transportation Workers (RMT), told Sky News. “We need job security, decent conditions and a square agreement in general, if we are to succeed we will not have to have the upheaval in the British economy that we have now and that can grow in the summer.” Johnson said the unions were hurting people who claimed to be helping. “By carrying out these railway strikes, they are expelling commuters who ultimately support the work of railway workers, while also affecting businesses and communities across the country,” he told the cabinet on Tuesday, according to his office. The government has faced criticism from opposition lawmakers for refusing to get involved in the talks. Ministers say it is up to the unions to work directly with railway employers. A poll by YouGov pollsters earlier this month found that public opinion on the strikes was divided, with about half of those polled opposing the action and just over a third saying they supported it. Leo Rudolph, a 36-year-old lawyer who went to work on foot, said he would become more unhappy the longer the controversy lasted. Railway workers strike outside Preston station on the first day of a national railway strike in Preston, UK, June 21, 2022. REUTERS / Jason Cairnduff read more “This will not be an isolated incident, right?” he told Reuters. “I will definitely be more frustrated every time this happens.”
DESTRUCTIVE INFLATION
The British economy initially recovered sharply from the COVID-19 pandemic, but a combination of labor shortages, supply disruptions, inflation and trade problems after Brexit sparked warnings of a recession. The government says it is providing extra support to millions of the poorest households, but says wage increases above inflation would hurt the fundamentals of the economy. “Maintaining higher levels of inflation would have a much greater impact on people’s pay packages in the long run, destroying savings and extending the difficulties we face over a longer period of time,” Johnson said. The outbreak of industrial activity was compared to the 1970s, when Britain faced widespread labor strikes, including the “winter of discontent” of 1978-79. read more The number of British workers who have joined unions has been around for almost half since the 1970s with departures much less frequent, in part due to changes made by former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to limit unions and make it more difficult to call a strike. Transport Secretary Grand Saps said the government would change the law as soon as possible to force train operators to provide minimal service on strike days and allow other workers to temporarily replace staff who have left. “We will take steps to ensure that this is less damaging in the future,” he told Sky News. The strikes are taking place as travelers to British airports face chaotic delays and last-minute cancellations due to staff shortages, with many Britons having to wait months to get new passports due to delays in processing. The rail strike means that only about half of Britain’s rail network will be open on strike days with very limited service on these lines and a continuous interruption on the days between strike days. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Editing by Edmund Blair, Kate Holton and Raissa Kasolowsky Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
