Tuesday 21 June 2022 09:34 AM Britons vent fury at striking rail workers - as others celebrate a week WFH in ... trends now
Commuters who have been left stranded by the worst rail strikes for 30 years today have flooded social media with memes - as it means scores of employees have been allowed to work from home (WFH).
The UK has been forced into another de facto lockdown that could be the death knell for many small businesses who have already been struggling for the past two years due to the pandemic and were just getting back on their feet.
Many workers across the country have vented their fury at the striking rail workers, saying they will 'gain zero support from the country after they took handouts' during the Covid lockdowns.
While others have celebrated 'having a lie in' and 'saving £22' on their morning commute - urging rail unions to 'strike more often'.
The RMT union has been accused of 'punishing millions of innocent people' by pressing ahead with the walkouts, despite rail bosses offering workers a pay rise of at least 3 per cent – the same given last year to NHS staff who battled the Covid-19 crisis. They want an 11 per cent rise to match inflation levels.
Talks between RMT and Network Rail were held into Monday afternoon, but both sides remained deadlocked over a deal.
The RMT say the pay proposals were a '2 per cent down payment with the possibility of 1 per cent more'.
It added that the train operators have now made an offer and there is no further offer from Network Rail following one rejected last Friday. London Underground workers from the RMT and Unite unions are also going on strike today.
Britons have blasted the summer of discontent with ongoing airport chaos and petrol skyrocketing to £2 a litre.
Connor Tomlinson wrote 'Train and tube drivers on strike Bus routes cut, and coach fares up over 300%. Petrol costs at 17 year high, thanks to tax and a faux-eco halt on our domestic oil supplies Britain will be driven back to horse and carriage soon, by causes so avoidable it's hard not call sabotage.'
This morning, train passengers faced chaos with half of the UK's rail network closed and only a fifth of services running due to the biggest strike by rail workers for a generation. If services are going ahead they will be limited with no trains travelling after 6.30pm this evening.
Thousands of members of RMT at Network Rail and 13 train operators ares striking today, Thursday and Saturday - in what hospitality chiefs believe will cost the tourism, leisure and theatre industries some £1billion in lost earnings.
The rail industry will also take a £150million hit at a time when pre-pandemic passenger numbers are yet to return. The taxpayer has also pumped in £16billion to keep the network going through the pandemic. The walkouts will hinder millions trying to get to work, stop patients attending vital health appointments and inflict undue stress on students sitting exams.
Millions of people not lucky enough to WFH will be forced to battle into work on foot, bike or in rammed buses due to the three days of strikes.
The strike has been designed so there will also be severe disruption for on non-strike days too, causing six days of chaos - however it could last six months if a resolution isn't found.
One critic added: 'Ticket prices have already gone up 35 per cent and the service is still unbelievably bad.'
Another user
