Millions of commuters face a second day of disruption across Britain following a 24-hour strike that paralyzed the rail network and caused travel chaos across the country.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) of Network Rail and 14 train companies resigned on Wednesday in a long-running dispute over jobs, wages and working conditions.
Talks between railway chiefs and union barons are expected to resume today, but there are few signs of breaking the deadlock.
Disputes in the bitter row over jobs, wages, pensions and conditions are worsening, with more strikes in the coming days, and a wave of union actions slated for next month on the railways and London Underground.
Network Rail said the disruptions to the trains will continue this morning due to the knock-on effect of Thursday’s RMT strike, with several operators saying services will start later than usual.
The delays threaten people traveling to Birmingham for the start of the Commonwealth Games, which are expected to gather 30,000 people for the opening ceremony this afternoon.
However, many commuters chose to work from home during the railway strikes, and experts said union action was becoming less effective, despite crippling services again.
Many have been forced to walk or cycle or hop in a taxi, with Uber rides costing up to about three times the cost of desperate workers rushing to the office. Uber’s app automatically raises prices when demand exceeds the number of available cars.
Today a four-mile journey in London, usually costing £13, costs passengers around £20 amid the cost of living as commuters face a second day of discontent.
Meanwhile, airports across the country are experiencing delays as passengers at Manchester and Bristol airports report painfully long queues as Britons prepare for their summer break.
WIMBLEDON: Millions of commuters face a second day of disruption across Britain following a 24-hour strike that paralyzed the rail network and caused travel chaos across the country
WIMBLEDON: Network Rail said disruptions to trains will continue this morning following Thursday’s RMT strike, with several operators saying services will start later than usual
MANCHESTER: Passengers at Manchester airport this morning reported painfully long queues at Terminal 2
BRISTOL: Holidaymakers and commuters flying from Bristol Airport face long queues before 4.30am as IT check-in systems are temporarily down for a second day in a row
BRISTOL: Hundreds of flights have been delayed or canceled at UK airports in recent months as staffing difficulties amid booming demand for post-covid air travel
BRISTOL: Holidaymakers and commuters flying from Bristol Airport face long queues, with some passengers arriving early at the airport to sleep in the check-in area
BRISTOL: Families lined up to check in this morning amid Britain’s ongoing travel crisis
BRISTOL: Brits at Bristol airport queue for ‘two hours’ this morning as holidaymakers begin early summer break
Today a four-mile journey in London, usually costing £13, costs passengers around £20 amid the cost of living as commuters face a second day of discontent
Many have been forced to walk or cycle or hop in a taxi, with Uber rides costing up to about three times the cost of desperate workers rushing to the office. Uber’s app automatically raises prices when demand exceeds the number of cars available
On Saturday and next month, strikes will be held by both the RMT and members of the drivers’ union Aslef and the Association of Paid Transporters.
Aslef has announced that drivers from nine railway companies will go on a one-day strike on Saturday, August 13, as the companies failed to make wage offers to help members keep pace with the rise in the cost of living.
Drivers will go on strike at seven companies this Saturday and Aslef members at two more train operators voted overwhelmingly in favor of union action. Only about one in five trains ran on Wednesdays, and some areas had no services at all.
Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said: “Strikes are always the last resort.
“We don’t want to harass passengers – our friends and family also use public transport – and we don’t want to lose money by going on strike, but we have been forced into this position by the companies, who say they are being driven to do so by the government. .’
A Twitter user said that while they were able to work from home during Wednesday’s strike, they will be delayed this morning due to many train operators offering a skeleton service.
Kacy wrote: “I swapped my work from home this week to get around the train strike. I’m lucky this is possible. I’m not so lucky tomorrow, because my train operator only runs on Sundays, which means I’ll be late for work on my first train.’
A row broke out between unions and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps after he made plans to curb union action, including halting coordinated union action, limiting picket actions and allowing for a cooling-off period after strikes.
The RMT and TSSA will hold more strikes on August 18 and 20, while London Underground workers will leave on August 19.
On Friday there will also be strikes by BT employees and those of the AQA Examination Board.
Royal Mail employees have voted to strike amid disputes over pay for public sector workers, including teachers and health workers.
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