UK rail passengers face 4th day of travel disruption amid strikes

January 6, 2023
158 Views

Spread the love

British rail passengers face a fourth consecutive day of travel disruption on Friday because of a strike by thousands of workers in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

Services will be crippled by the walkout by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail and 14 train operators.

The action will last for 48 hours and follows a stoppage on Thursday by train drivers in the Aslef union which caused widespread disruption.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan has warned it was “inevitable” that further strikes would be held unless the deadlock was broken.

He suggested strikes could escalate, saying train drivers wanted to go “harder and faster” after years of not receiving a pay rise.

He accused rail employers and the government of “playing games” rather than making any serious attempt to resolve the pay dispute.

“The situation is getting worse and my members now want to go harder and faster because of the lack of progress,” he said.

Only around 20% of normal services will run on Friday and trains will start later and finish earlier.

The strike ends a week of industrial action on the railways, with the dispute remaining deadlocked.

Talks are expected to be held early next week, but unions continue to accuse the government of blocking a deal.

Ministers deny they are interfering in negotiations.

Picket lines will again be mounted outside railway stations on Friday.

Unions, including those representing railway workers, reacted with anger to a government announcement on Thursday on proposed legislation to ensure minimum levels of service during strikes in industries including the railways.

Advertisement

Officials said any laws would be unworkable and might lead to even more industrial action as a response to the controversial move.

You may be interested

”I said YES to my Odogwu” Actress Sharon Ooja legally marries in intimate civil ceremony
Celebrities
2 views
Celebrities
2 views

”I said YES to my Odogwu” Actress Sharon Ooja legally marries in intimate civil ceremony

Webby - March 23, 2024

Sultry Nollywood actress Sharon Ooja has announced a major event in her life, revealing that she has exchanged vows in…

News
1 views

RCB vs PBKS IPL Betting Preview March 25 2024: Odds, Offers, Prediction, Tips and Line Ups

Webby - March 23, 2024

The early pressure coming into this match is on the Royal Challengers Bangalore after they lost their opening match away…

One out of 4 Igbos likely to go blind from Glaucoma says Optometrists
News
1 views
News
1 views

One out of 4 Igbos likely to go blind from Glaucoma says Optometrists

Webby - March 23, 2024

By Uzo Ugwunze The Nigerian Optometric  Association (NOA) has revealed that recent research says that one out of four Igbos…

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.