Higher wages demanded: Great Britain is threatened with a massive rail strike

In the UK, tens of thousands of railway workers want to walk down this week in favor of higher wages and against job cuts. The country is facing the biggest rail strike in 30 years.

Britain prepares for massive strikes. Train companies and the London Underground recommend avoiding journeys or switching to other modes of transport. The railway union RMT has announced that it will go on strike on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 40,000 employees could stop working. The biggest strike in the UK in decades is looming. Doctors and teachers also want to fight for higher wages. Discussions will continue over the next few days.

Remembering the winter of 1978/1979

The conservative daily newspapers are already reminiscent of the strikes in the 1970s, when work stoppages paralyzed the country. The winter of 1978/1979 went down in history as the “winter of discontent”. Margaret Thatcher won the general election in 1979 and replaced a Labor government.

The tabloid “The Sun” alluded to a train announcement and headlined: “We regret to inform you that this country has returned to the 1970s.”

“Long time did not listen to the employees”

The Daily Telegraph fears that the strikes could last six months. That’s terrible, says a passer-by, terrible for everyone who has to drive to work. Another passerby supports the strikers because the transport minister says the government has not listened to the workers for decades.

Negotiations are, of course, between employee representatives and employers. But the political debate about which demands are justified, about the expansion of the network and who is to blame for the possible chaos has long been heated.

Job cuts and longer working hours?

The head of the RMT union, Mike Lynch, said on the BBC: “We also want there to be a solution. But we also have to say that we are experiencing a crisis. Jobs are being cut, even if the transport minister says otherwise . Safety standards will be reduced, ticket offices will be closed and working hours will be increased to 40 or even 44 hours a week.” In addition, the inflation rate in the UK is around ten percent.

Lisa Nandy, Labor MP from the north of England and responsible for “levelling up”, i.e. the equalization of living conditions, defends the unions: “We don’t want the strikes to have to take place either. But we have seen ten years of bad management, Underfunding and broken promises.”

High fuel prices, high cost of living

The government criticizes both the unions and Labour. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was a moderate, nobody in the country needed mass strikes, and people should be able to drive to work.

Many feel that the strikes are unreasonable in view of high fuel prices, rising living costs and long waiting lists in the health sector. Prime Minister Boris Johnson severely criticized opposition leader Keir Starmer in the House of Commons last week. Labor are not doing anything about the strikes – which is not true. Because Labor has also spoken out against the walkouts.