In the middle of school holidays, about one in only five train circulates on Saturday. The unions are demanding an increase in wages adapted to the increase in the cost of living.
Le Monde with AFP
Faced with strong inflation, British mobilization continues. After a first railroad raising on Thursday, and a strike in the London metro on Friday, transport in the United Kingdom is again assigned, Saturday August 20, by a day of strike for the increase in wages.
In the middle of the school holidays, only about one in five in five circulates on Saturday due to this strike at the call of the rail, maritime and transport unions (RMT), Transport Employeed Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite which claim an increase in Salaries adapted to the increase in the cost of living.
Negotiations with the multitude of private rail operators in the sector are so far in the deadlock. The Minister of Transport, Grant Shapps, accused of blocking the situation, criticizes the union organizations for refusing reforms to modernize the rail and assured, Friday, that he could go into force.
The Saturday strike disrupts in particular the trips of tourists, football fans going to matches and festival -goers. It should also affect the traffic of trains on Sunday morning.
La Poste and the ports also on strike
The United Kingdom is experiencing these days a new salvo of massive debraying, including transport, post and ports. It is the biggest strike movement for decades in the face of inflation, which reached in July 10.1 % over a year and could exceed 13 % in October, the highest level of a G7 country.
Sunday, the Dockers of the port of Felixstowe (is of England) – the most important for freight in the country – start an eight -day strike, threatening to stop a large part of the traffic of goods of the country.
Rail side, Mick Lynch, secretary general of the RMT, said that the strikers had the support of the public, saying: they are “just behind us”. “I think that the British public is tired of being scammed by this government and by British companies, with companies like BP and British Gas that make huge profits when people have trouble earning their living,” said -Ali declared, Saturday, on the BBC.
While railroad lighthouses have been continuing by episodes since June, for lack of salary agreement, Mick Lynch has assured continuing to look for “solutions” but judged “very likely” the prospect of new strikes.