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Commuters in Ondon have put aside their frustration as they endured a third consecutive day of travel disruption due to a train drivers’ strike.
Services are being crippled by the walkout of Aslef members at 15 rail companies in a long-running dispute over pay, with some areas without trains throughout the day.
There were no services on Thursday morning on Southeastern, Thameslink, Great Northern or Avanti West Coast, while South Western Railway and Greater Anglia were limited to skeleton services at Waterloo and Liverpool Street.
Victoria, normally one of the county’s busiest stations, was closed, with no Southern or Gatwick Express trains running. Passengers described the situation as a “nightmare” and “bad for Britain” and accused unions of “losing the plot” over the “selfish” strikes.
The action follows a 48-hour strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union which caused widespread disruption across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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The latest wave of industrial action comes as reports suggest Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could announce legislation to enforce minimum service levels during strikes as early as Thursday.
The RMT is planning another 48-hour strike from Friday in its bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.
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New strike law “attack on workers”
Responding to the Government’s plans to introduce new strike legislation, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “This is an attack on the right to strike. It is an attack on working people, and it is an attack on one of our long-standing British freedoms.
“It means that when workers vote democratically in favor of the strike, they can be forced to work and fired if they don’t. This is wrong, unworkable and almost certainly illegal.
“The announcement offers nothing more to help with this year’s pay and cost of living crisis. The only offer of talks is for next year. But we need to resolve current conflicts and increase pay of public sector workers now.
Paul Nowak, General Secretary of the TUC
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Stagnation slows progress
Mick Whelan out of Euston
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The six-month stalemate between striking rail workers and the Government is holding back progress on green transport, according to a union official.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said the deadlock in pay negotiations is taking the focus of rail leaders away from improving the sustainability of Britain’s rail network.
He added that lack of investment in railways and rising train fares have led commuters to opt for less eco-friendly modes of transport such as driving.
Whelan joined a number of train drivers who went on strike outside London’s Euston station on Thursday, while thousands of other Aslef members set up picket lines across the country in their sixth day of action since last summer.
Asked whether the ongoing row was preventing rail leaders from improving green transport, Whelan said he “couldn’t see how” ministers would be able to meet climate change targets without “putting rail at the heart” of their policies.
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The government is moving forward with anti-strike legislation
The Government is pushing ahead with plans to introduce new legislation on “minimum levels of safety” during industrial action.
The Department for Business announced that a bill will be introduced to Parliament in the coming weeks to ensure that vital public services must maintain a “core function” when workers strike.
Minimum safety levels will be set for the fire, ambulance and rail services and the Government said it will consult on the “appropriate level of cover” for these sectors.
The announcement came amid a wave of strikes, including a walkout by train drivers on Thursday that paralyzed rail services.
Unions reacted furiously to the move, saying it would do nothing to resolve disputes erupting across the country every week.
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The new strike law could come into effect on Thursday, according to reports
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could set out details of a planned new law to curb strikes as early as Thursday, The Times reported, saying ministers intend to outlaw industrial action in some sectors if minimum service levels are not met.
The Times newspaper said the legislation would enforce minimum service levels in six sectors, including the health service, rail, education, fire and border security, requiring a proportion of union members to continue working.
The UK has faced a wave of industrial action in recent months, with strikes crippling a number of sectors including the rail network, set to continue as inflation rises after more than 10 years of stagnant wage growth .
The strikes would be considered illegal if the unions refused to provide the minimum level of service, the newspaper said, citing a government source involved in the discussions.
Employers could sue unions and sack staff under government plans to curb the right to strike, the report added.
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Labor would repeal any anti-strike laws
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
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Labor has said it opposes anti-strike legislation and that the party would likely repeal any bill if it wins the next election.
Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer, delivering his first speech of the new year, said he did not believe the Conservative government’s idea for legislation “would work”.
If new restrictions were imposed on industrial action, Sir Keir said he would “repeal it” if the public put him in Downing Street.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves also criticized the plan to make strikes more difficult.
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Union crackdown laws ‘could mean longer rail strikes’ – union boss
Laws imposing minimum levels of service during strikes could backfire on the Government by prompting workers to carry out longer periods of industrial action, a union boss has warned.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan has said legal limits on how much workers can take time off to picket could mean unions launch longer strikes to maintain the same impact of day-long action under the current rules
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering measures that could allow employers to sue unions and fire workers if they fail to deliver a certain level of service.
Speaking at London’s Euston station alongside several striking train drivers, Whelan said unions would “of course” take the government to court if it imposed such laws.
Whelan said: “We’ve had minimum service levels in countries across Europe for years (but) it’s never been enacted, because logistically it doesn’t work.
“I haven’t seen the legislation, but what I’ve got is that we should negotiate with each different company a minimum strike level.
“If we say the minimum strike levels were 20%, in the past we were told that we didn’t have full rail services during the firemen’s strike and that the rail was unsafe, so we would do something unsafe.
“Also, should we act for more days, to match the same level of effect we have from day one?”
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Commuter: ‘Train strikes wrecked my plans’
Commuter Son Gyoh said strikes crippling Birmingham New Street rail services had hit his plans “very badly” and “cost-wise”.
He also saw the irony of his position, as he is an associate professor of supply chain management, sustainability and business, saying the strikes would be “a good example” for one of his classes.
Asked what he thought of the strikes, he said: “I don’t know the details, but it’s something that’s affected the economy, it’s affected people, it’s costing people a lot of money.
“But the train drivers may have their own argument to make, but I don’t know what it’s about.”
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Metro delays are not due to strikes
Transport for London has confirmed that strikes are not the direct cause of delays on the Circle and Central lines.
The Central has a shortage of rolling stock. The Circle, for its part, has a lack of staff due to illness, holidays and those who have difficulty getting to work due to strikes.
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From Euston
Around a dozen train drivers represented by the Aslef union are on strike for pay outside Euston station in central London, the start of a third consecutive day of ‘rail disruptions.
About 12,500 drivers from 15 rail companies are on picket across the country on Thursday and their action follows a 48-hour strike by RMT workers.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan joins those performing in Euston and Kings Cross.
Several passing cars honked their horns in support of the drivers as they passed Euston station.
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The metro line experiences delays
There are now delays on the Metropolitana line in the north-west section.
They are severe between Moor Park and Amersham. Between Moor Park and Chesham they are minor.
“This is due to emergency engineering work on the track,” Transport for London said.
Tickets are accepted on London buses.