More than 40,000 railway workers have announced strikes and walk-outs in the railway industry in several major cities in the UK on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, reports the BBC.
The conflict is taking place against the background of the current government demanding cuts in state-owned Network Rail and London Transport for London, TFL, which, among other things, operates the London Underground.
Behind the strike notice stands the Trade Union RMT, which organizes workers in the transport sector. RMT believes that the strike is a response to stagnant wages, cuts in the number of employees and deteriorating working conditions at Network Rail. RMT sets requirements for wage increases that must correspond to rising living costs.
The strike will mean significantly fewer train departures than usual – 4,500 instead of the 20,000 that were planned. The trains that still run will also start later and end earlier. The London Underground is also affected by the strike on Tuesday.
Network Rail owns most of the railway tracks used by other train companies in the UK, which means that the consequences of the strike will be more widespread, as it also affects train companies where workers do not strike.
National Railways CEO Andrew Haines urges people to travel only if absolutely necessary.
Talks between the parties have taken place during the day, but at present no agreement has been reached.