Strikes halt London's transport network as inflation affects wages

[Rover]

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/...-network-to-a-halt-as-inflation-affects-wages
Public transport workers in London held fresh strikes Friday over pay and conditions, cutting services on almost all underground and overground rail lines that link up the UK capital.

The latest walkout comes during a summer of industrial action across Britain, with workers in various sectors pushing for pay rises in line with decades-high inflation and the soaring cost of living.

A spokesperson for Transport for London, responsible for most of the capital's network, told AFP there were "almost no tube (Underground) services" with only a couple of lines functioning with "very reduced services".

Most Americans do not depend on Rail as the only way to get them to work.

 

[Trollopian]

The latest walkout comes during a summer of industrial action across Britain...

I first encountered this term for what Americans would call a "strike" on a visit to London where museum staff forced closure of (I think) the National Gallery. It's somewhat amusing that the term has survived the shift to an overwhelmingly service-based economy. "Industrial action" conjures up images of workers putting down their tools and stopping the assembly line. Mind you, the workers of Transport for London come closer to that image than do museum guards.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I’ve got my fingers crossed that additional dates for these industrial actions don’t coincide with my trip in 2 weeks. I will be flying into London and spending a night. Then the next morning, I take a South Western Railways train from London Waterloo Station to Southampton Central Station to get on a cruise ship. I’ll be monitoring things as it gets closer to see if I need to scramble to find other transportation.

At the end of the cruise in Amsterdam, I will board the Eurostar train to ride back under the English Channel to London. I don’t think that is subject to the strikes, how ever.

 

[JontyMort]

I first encountered this term for what Americans would call a "strike" on a visit to London where museum staff forced closure of (I think) the National Gallery. It's somewhat amusing that the term has survived the shift to an overwhelmingly service-based economy. "Industrial action" conjures up images of workers putting down their tools and stopping the assembly line. Mind you, the workers of Transport for London come closer to that image than do museum guards.

It’s only the unions who refer to “industrial action”. Everyone else in Britain takes the view that if it quacks like a strike…

 

[kitkat94]

I’ve got my fingers crossed that additional dates for these industrial actions don’t coincide with my trip in 2 weeks. I will be flying into London and spending a night. Then the next morning, I take a South Western Railways train from London Waterloo Station to Southampton Central Station to get on a cruise ship. I’ll be monitoring things as it gets closer to see if I need to scramble to find other transportation.

At the end of the cruise in Amsterdam, I will board the Eurostar train to ride back under the English Channel to London. I don’t think that is subject to the strikes, how ever.

By law the unions have to give 2 weeks notice of strike dates.

Eurostar should be fine. Are you flying into Heathrow? If so, you would have the option of mainline (Heathrow Express) or Underground to get back to the airport.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

By law the unions have to give 2 weeks notice of strike dates.

Eurostar should be fine. Are you flying into Heathrow? If so, you would have the option of mainline (Heathrow Express) or Underground to get back to the airport.

Enjoy your trip.

Thanks. I plan on taking the Underground to and from London/Heathrow. I've done that several times in the past. My only concern, really, is the trip from London to Southampton on September 5th. Since that is now less than 2 weeks away, I think I should be fine.