Work on the UK’s rail sector starts this Tuesday four days of strike this week to demand a raise, which meant a near paralysis of this essential means of transport in the UK. Amidst the effects of heavy snowfall on British soil, This week’s strike has also been followed by strikes in other sectors, such as the postal or health services, with a nurses’ strike this Thursday.
Member of Railroad, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT, for its English acronym) the second 48 hours of unemployment – between this Tuesday and Wednesday – and again on Friday and Saturday.
It is estimated that only 20% of rail services will operate during these power measures, which the sector has supported thereafter failed negotiations with the railroad company Network Rail. The company has asked residents to avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary.
Unemployment also coincided with the disruption of bad weather, the aftermath heavy snowfall In recent days, it has caused differences in the means of transportation in the country.
to find a deal
The Network Rail Company has offered a 5% salary increase. this year, below the 7% demanded by unions, as UK inflation has hit 11.1%.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch told the BBC on Tuesday that the Conservative government was “deliberately blocking” a means of reaching an agreement with the union.
Lynch added that the latest government salary offer, which unions rejected yesterday, was “well below inflationand “totally unacceptable. Our members did not want to accept the offer… the deal value was not high enough.”
While “optimistic” a deal could be reached, Lynch said the government needed to help “to facilitate” an agreement.
“There is an opportunity to find a solution, but I’m afraid the government is preventing that from happening. They deliberately obstructed the deal“, he added.
The government needs a “cuckoo”
Additionally, in a statement to EFE, Lynch said the union believes that “The government wants the strike to continueBecause they need what we call a cuckoo, someone to distract themselves from, they have an inability of their own. And if you look at the economy, we have health workers, we have schoolteachers, we have doctors, we have all kinds of people, ambulance drivers who are involved in disputes.”
“And of course they want to achieve lower wages so they can make more profit, so they can have a set cheaper utilities. And basically they’re chasing the line of austerity, which is very hard on the workers,” he added.
Meanwhile, Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, told the BBC it was “it is difficult to see hope in the negotiations on the rail strike.
Apart from this strike, there is something else planned for this week by other sectors, such as the post strike tomorrow and Thursday, while the nurses will strike on Thursday.
At the end of the week there is a strength measurement of the employees who work in highway maintenance and in charge of luggage at London Heathrow Airport.
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