Millions left stranded as strikes bring Britain's transport to a halt
Britain's rail commuters and air passengers face a week of strike hell as rail workers and cabin crew stage walkouts.
The threat of strikes is now spreading across Britain
The threat of strikes spreading round the country is also growing as the Government pushes for the more widespread introduction of driver-only trains.
London’s Tube network – which carries 3.5 million passengers a day – is expected to be at a virtual standstill today due to a 24-hour walkout from 6pm yesterday.
The TSSA rail union joined the RMT in striking after rejecting a last-ditch offer from London Underground.
Meanwhile Aslef rail drivers will bring the beleaguered Southern rail network to a halt once more by striking tomorrow, Wednesday and Friday in a year-long row over the introduction of driver-only trains.
Aslef also plans another shutdown with strikes on January 24, 25 and 27. Southern warned passengers to travel only if it is “absolutely necessary”.
A drivers’ overtime ban in the same dispute will cause further disruption for Southern’s 300,000 commuters even when the trains are running.
Affected British Airways customers are being contacted with options available to them
In a letter released yesterday Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told every MP with constituencies on the Southern network: “There is no possible justification for the strike action to continue.”
Some customers will travel slightly earlier or later than their original booking
Tomorrow and Wednesday about 2,900 British Airways cabin crew operating out of Heathrow will go on strike in a pay row.
This threatens to cause the cancellation of up to 50 flights. Meanwhile the RMT is due this week to ballot members on Arriva Rail Northern which carries 270,000 passengers a day.
The strike threat is over pay but Arriva’s new franchise also requires it to swop many of its trains to driver-only ones.
RMT member wants to put Corbyn in power ahead of strikes
The RMT has already threatened to take the same fight to Merseyrail which has just ordered a new fleet of trains whose doors will be controlled by drivers.
The BA pay row involves the “Mixed Fleet” which accounts for 15 per cent of its cabin crew. It operates on short and long haul flights out of Heathrow and covers all BA cabin crew who joined after 2010.
Unite claims its members are enduring “poverty pay levels” of about £16,000 a year including allowances.
The Tube network will grind to a standstill due to the 24 hour walkout
BA said: “All British Airways customers will be able to fly to their destinations on Tuesday and Wednesday despite proposed industrial action by Unite.”
It said all Gatwick and London City flights will operate as normal as will “the vast majority” of Heathrow services.
But it added: “As part of our contingency plan, we will be merging a very small number of flights to and from Heathrow. This will mean some customers will travel slightly earlier or later than their original booking.
Customers affected are being contacted with the options available for them.”