Those who want to travel by train this weekend face a delay as rail workers spend their third day of industrial operation.
Approximately 40,000 members of the Railway, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) are on strike today for a further 24 hours as negotiations over wages, salaries and working conditions show little sign of progress.
Only a fifth of the service works and half of the lines are closed. The operator will only travel by train as necessary and will instruct passengers to check in advance.
Working from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the first two days of the strike helped many avoid confusion.
But for those who have a long-term weekend plan, this may not be an option.
Many seaside resorts, including Bournemouth, Dorset, do not offer services on Saturdays. Blackpool, Lancashire; Margaret, Kent; Randuno, North Wales; and Skagnes, Lincolnshire. There are also no trains in Cornwall.
Service is mostly limited to the main line, but is still only open from 7:30am to 6:30pm. The delay will continue until Sunday.
Steve Montgomery, Head of the Rail Transport Group representing the operator, said: ..
“We do our best to minimize passenger delays, but we recommend traveling only when necessary. If you’re planning a trip, plan ahead.”
Andrew Haynes, CEO of Network Rail, said:
Some trains run normally compared to Saturday, with trains leaving late in the morning and finishing quite early in the evening.
“We sincerely apologize to our passengers for the unavoidable travel and weekend delays.
We stay at the table, ready to negotiate day and night, and do our best to avoid further passenger delays.
This week’s strike is expected to result in a $150 million loss in revenue for the rail industry and the suspension of planned redevelopment.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said its members “support all workers who are trying to increase wages and some job security”.
He continued. “In the modern economy, workers must be adequately rewarded for their work, enjoy good conditions and have the peace of mind that they will not be deprived of their jobs.
‘[Transport Secretary] Grant Chaps needs to get in the room or stay out of the way in order to deal with these companies, which have had dozens of successful transactions so far.
“What we cannot understand is that thousands of railway workers have been abandoned after being welcomed as heroes during Covid.
“RMT will continue with its industrial campaign until the negotiations are completed.”
Mr. Chaps said the strike hit some people at the “worst time,” and this week also showed that the strike was not as effective a union tool as it used to be.
“RMT can argue, but I’ve never seen a level of heavy traffic or bus congestion. Some are like the world changes and more people can work from home. I’m scared,” he said.
Negotiations between RMT and rail employers have been going on for a full week and will resume in the coming days.
-The RMT Twitter account added more than 60,000 new followers last week.
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Source: Metro
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