Railway workers are again on strike Friday and Saturday in the United Kingdom to demand wage increases in the face of inflation, after rejecting the proposals for revaluation made so far by the companies. Train drivers are on strike on Friday at the call of the Aslef union, while maintenance and control agents will strike Saturday at the call of the RMT union. Railway companies have announced major disruptions and cancellations of trains.
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This movement is the umpteenth episode in a social conflict that has been going on for months in the United Kingdom, and which does not only affect rail transport. Nurses, paramedics, public employees and other professions have walked out numerous times since the fall to get pay rises while the cost of living has soared with inflation above 10% for months.
"We have no choice"
While other less representative unions have ended their movement, Aslef and RMT have so far rejected proposals for a 4% wage increase for this year (after +4 to +5% last year), accompanied by changes in working conditions. "We don't want to strike (...) we don't want to get to that point, but after four years without an increase we think we have no choice," Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan told the BBC. He accused the government of "bad faith", "not talking" to unions and tying companies' hands in negotiations. Train drivers plan to strike again on May 31 and June 3.
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Transport Secretary Huw Merriman told Sky News that the proposal on the table was "good enough". He also denounced the consequences of the strikes, which could disrupt the arrival of the public at the Eurovision Song Contest held Saturday in Liverpool (north of England) and the arrival of Manchester City and Manchester United fans in London on June 3 for the final of the FA Cup football. "It's a real shame to target cultural and sporting events, especially these," he said.
These new walkouts come the day after the announcement of the "temporary" resumption of control by the government of the services operated by the company TransPennine Express, after an increase in delays and cancellations of trains. Difficulties blamed by the unions on the privatization of rail in the 1990s, while the government blamed the behaviour of the Aslef union.
