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railway strike in the UK begins like johnson steps up modernization call

Large parts of Britain stopped in the biggest strike hit country railways in 30 years, as Boris Johnson warned, the sector needs to modernize, otherwise it will “go bankrupt”.

Railway passengers across the country were forced to stay in home after warnings avoid everything except necessary travel, with Only one-fifth of Mainline trains are expected run and many lines are completely closed.

Only skeletal services are running for passengers to London and other cities, there were no trains on large sections of in network during the morning rush hour.

prime minister called “union barons sit down with Network Rail and the railway companies agreed to reforms such as a phased out ticket offices.

Members of RMT union walked out in dispute over wages, working methods and possible layoffs, including 40,000 employees of infrastructure company Network Rail and 13 train employees operating companies. More strikes planned for Thursday and Saturday. London Underground employees also walked on strike for one day on Tuesday.

RMT management insists for salary increase of 7-8 percent for compensation for inflation is expected hit 11 percent is year. But Johnson called into a cabinet meeting on Tuesday for paid discipline to limit inflationary pressures, while arguing that the modernization of the railways was necessary.

“I say this to the country as a whole: we need to be ready to hold the course,” he said. added. “These improvements in in way we run our railways in interests of travel public . . . If we don’t do this, these great companies, it great industry, will face farther financial pressure, it will go bankrupt.

Passengers in Waterloo station on in first day of national railway strikes on Tuesday when London Underground staff also walked on strike © Henry Nicholls/Reuters

There is uncertainty over when official negotiation on after the end of the strike will resume. Network Rail hopes to resume negotiations on Wednesday and her chief negotiator visited the RMT picket on Tuesday morning but union said that although he was open to negotiation, he had not formally received an invitation.

Mick Lynch, head of rail union, said the RMT “has no choice but to protect our members.” He accused government for “chaining” the salary offers of the railway industry and using pandemic as a pretext for the introduction of “transport savings”, including the closure of all ticket offices.

Train drivers are members of different union and not on strike while the industry called for managers and other employees on to the forefront work on platforms and in signal boxes.

The railroad will be closed down until 18:30, with in last trains between London and cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh leave before 16:00.

The breach is likely to persist on days between official strikes, especially in in the morning because the trains will out of place for their schedule runs.

RMT general-secretary Mike Lynch
Mick Lynch, head of RMT said union “had no choice” but to continue with strike © Stefan Rousseau/PA

Andrew Haynes, chief executive of Network Rail, said he was “deeply sorry” for the passengers. for violation but blamed RMT for refusal to compromise, including on “archaic” methods of work.

He said that Network Rail wrote a letter to RMT threatening to fire “less than 2,000 people”, but he hoped it could be voluntary.

Haynes added that ministers agreed that Network Rail could go beyond the sector’s public wage cap and propose rise of more than 3 percent because of huge scope for improving productivity in the industry.

While government refused directly negotiate with RMT, in effect ministers control the industry’s finances.

Network Rail is owned by the government and the Department for Transport sets annual budgets for services run on private train operating companies in the era of the coronavirus pandemic changes.

Business leaders have warned that strikes hit the most difficult sectors that were just recovery from economic impact of COVID-19.

UKHospitality appreciated the strike cost its sector £540–1 billion in thousands of people cannot travel around the country damaging bars, hotels, clubs, theaters and restaurants.

“This week we are seeing people cancel events but they are not comfortable rebooking them because they don’t sure when next there will be strikes,” said Kate Nicholls, chief executive of hospitality industry group.

She said the strike could “cause fatal financial blow to these businesses already struggling survive.”

strike means more people will probably stay home within a week than ever since last pandemic lockdown, delivering another one hit for business in city centers.

“I am grateful that they kept the trains running in pandemic, but we all came to work too much. We pay a lot of money – £150 per week – takeaway up as well as down And we need best service,” said John Brett, building website manager who life in Brighton and traveled to London daily during the pandemic.

But Covid-induced adaptation to remote means the strike is unlikely to be as disruptive as previous shutdowns.

Number of passengers on UK railways have recovered to about 80 per cent of their pre-pandemic levels this month, but rail industry executives said many passengers with longer trips were left out.

Freight transport will take priority during the week, but UK supply chains will be under new stress. It is expected that 30-40% less freight. move by train in a week and there will be strikes”add additional risk in already fragile supply chains,” said Maggie Simpson, head of Rail transport group.

Deliveries to power stations and supermarkets will take priority, but Simpson said the flow of construction materials – 40 percent of which is transported by train – can be disrupted.

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Adrian Ovalle
Adrian Ovalle
Adrian is working as the Editor at World Weekly News. He tries to provide our readers with the fastest news from all around the world before anywhere else.

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