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Britain’s railways were plunged into chaos on Saturday after staff staged one of the biggest strikes in decades. Members from the RMT, Aslef and TSSA unions are holding a 24-hour strike as they continue their fight for better pay and working conditions. It is the first time that unions have coordinated their strike action this year, as drivers and signallers joined forces to bring rail transport to a virtual standstill.
Only 11 percent of trains are expected to run, with no direct services at all on some intercity routes between London to Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
The strike has coincided with the start of the Tory Party conference and the London marathon.
Pickets were spotted at Euston station in London. Mick Lynch, the head of the RMT, was among those protesting.
The union leader claimed that rail workers had “full support from the public.”
He added: “Our members are very committed to this dispute, because it is a challenge to their futures.
“It’s challenging whether they will have a job on the railway, it’s challenging the nature of the railway.
“We believe the management want a stripped down, less safe railway.
“And of course, we haven’t had a pay rise – most of these people on this picket line for three years now.
“That is a cost of living crisis in itself. While our members are suffering pay squeezes, the bosses in this industry are raking it in.
“We’ve published a railway rich list today where people are earning one to two and half million pounds a year and they are going to get the full benefit of Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax break for the super-rich.”
Recent polling shows that more people across the country now support the strikes than oppose them.
A survey carried out by Ipsos Mori revealed that 43 percent backed the unions, while 31 percent opposed industrial action.
READ MORE: End rail misery and strike a deal, urges minister
“All it’s doing is causing commuter’s unrest getting to work etc.”
Shazza said: “We would all like to strike for more money but unfortunately life’s not like that.
“We need to get rid of trade unions and grow up a bit.”
Neil Bower noted: “I fully support any one who is striking for better pay and working conditions.
“It is every workers right to do so. Have any non-union members ever refused to accept pay rises won by unions in their workplace?”
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