The British population is facing a new strike in the railway sector this week, which halted public transport on Wednesday and threatens to disrupt the movement of thousands more this Saturday, when Only one train out of ten will run, The strike by 40,000 members of the National Union of Railway, Maritime and Transport Workers will add to six days of protest work thus far this summer, but there are more dates on the agenda, with a four-day strike in August also. At the table, the strikers have pleaded for improvements in working conditions, such as the protection of maintenance personnel, pensions and, above all, wages, in the context of the high cost of living, to which the energy crisis is added, which will be in the coming months. Threatens to raise bills almost impossible for many families to pay. But the talks don’t seem to be progressing.
Aug 19 Metro services will also stop workingAfter the strike called on 21 June and thereafter on every Friday and Saturday services of the three core lines were suspended till 6 December.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Asleaf, the union of train conductors, explained to the press that «we want to raise one In line with the cost of living, we want to be able to buy what we can afford in 2021, in 2022″ and pointed out that it was the drivers who “moved key workers and goods across the country during the pandemic.”
union crisis
The strike has also caused a union crisis with the Labor Party, with its leader Keir Starmer sacking shadow transport manager Sam Terry, reportedly for being involved in one. railway workers strike At London Euston station despite the fact that Starmer had asked his MPs not to join the strike. However, sources within the party argue that his dismissal came after he made unauthorized statements to the media which are contrary to the party’s policy.
Terry, who is a partner of Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Renner, said it was a “real shame” that she was fired for attending a demonstration and defended it. IThe party should show solidarity “with the workers” in their disputes. Manuel Cortés, general secretary of the TSSA Railway Workers’ Union, whose picket Terry joined, expressed his anger, saying that “we expect attacks from conservatives” but “we do not expect attacks from our party”, adding that that our union, affiliated “as a worker”, is ashamed of the actions of the Labor Party leadership and the anti-union, anti-worker message it is sending.’
