the biggest transport strike in 30 years collapses the entire country

Deserted stations, stopped trains, pickets and thousands of people unable to go to work. This is the current situation in the United Kingdom, which is experiencing this Tuesdays the biggest train strike in more than 30 years to request salary improvements for workers in the sector. The strike begins this Tuesday and will continue on Thursday and Saturday and has the support of Labor.

The impact of this strike is enormous for users and the UK economy. The London underground has woken up this Tuesday with practically all the stations closed. Although there is a very limited train service, most of the lines are not working because the London Underground workers will support a 24-hour strike, since in the country there is no obligation to provide minimum services in strikes.

Long lines multiply at bus stops urban areas of the capital, unable to manage the extremely high demand for travellers. Taxis and VTC platforms have also collapsed, making it almost impossible to move from one point of the city to another. In addition, the prices of the journeys of these services have skyrocketed.

No minimum services

The union leadership of RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) has warned against that his actions “will last as long as necessary”, a warning to which Boris Johnson’s government has turned a deaf ear, since the British Transport Minister, Grant Shapps, has refused to meet with the unions of the railway sector, as they ask, to help resolve the wage dispute.

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In the rest of the country the situation is identical. Traveling from one city to another is an almost impossible mission.. The National Rail website, where you can buy train tickets to travel anywhere in the country, has stopped working.

About half of all railway lines have been completely closed and those that are open barely have train circulation due to picketing or strikes by their workers. Services in Scotland and Wales have also been severely affected even though the operators are not directly involved as they rely on Network Rail staff to function.

Millionaires loses

This strike is seriously affecting the UK economy. In fact, it is estimated thathe London hospitality industry will lose 500 million pounds today alone.

The CEO of UK Hospitality, Kate Nichollswhich brings together the hospitality sector, confirmed this Tuesday on the BBC that restaurants and bars feel “the impact of the train strike, both for their workers who cannot go to work, but more importantly for customers They can’t travel.”

“Many close early or don’t open during strike days, which means our workers cannot work”he added.

From the Government, Minister Grant Shapps does not plan to meet with the unions that have organized this strike and has indicated that he intends to present a bill in the coming days to force operators to offer minimum services during strikes, which that doesn’t happen now.