An estimated 40,000 employees of Britain’s rail network went on strike today, in protest over pay and working conditions. A notice on the Network Rail website indicates the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union announced a strike action on Wednesday 27 July, Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August, coordinated across Network Rail and other train operating companies. Network Rail advised passengers to only travel if necessary. Only 20% of the services will run during the strike and some areas will be without service. Three days of strikes in June affected the same rail systems and complicated travel at the beginning of the summer travel season for millions of travelers.
The labor actions follow the disruption caused by the unprecedented record temperatures in the UK last week with rail travel in disarray when the heat damaged tracks and caused fires along railways.
The negotiations between the rail companies and the striking unions have been slow to resolve with the unions contending the offers by the railways fall drastically short of inflationary pressures. Additional strikes are planned in August.
