The ‘railway strike’ in the country comes as a headline expressing the stifling conditions in the country, among the many strikes in Britain to demand higher wages.
The suspension of rail services in parts of the country is crippling the movement of Britons and causing widespread confusion on the streets, which is the strike which runs in three stages until next Saturday and coincides with important events, including the final of the FA Cup. .
According to UK rail operators, services will be severely reduced and they have urged passengers to plan their journey before travelling, as rail passengers are expected to face further travel disruption over the next few days due to further strikes, in the context of these long-standing disputes between the government and the workers.
And while 40% of trains are expected to run, “there will be major traffic disruption without service on other networks”, according to a report published by the British newspaper The Guardian.
cup final
The strike affects football fans traveling to London for the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, as well as thousands traveling to the Epsom Derby (a horse race in England which takes place on the first Saturday in June each year), according to reports. A report published by the British network “Sky News”.
The report quotes the general secretary of the Aslef union representing train drivers, Mick Whelan, as saying there is no backing down from the train drivers’ demands: “We are determined to find a solution. It’s time for the government to take a step back.. Workers deserve a pay rise after four years Without a raise, and in conjunction with continued inflation over the past 12 months.
inflation rate
Data from Britain’s Office for National Statistics showed last week that annual consumer price inflation in the country has slowed at the fastest pace in nearly 30 years. The annual consumer price inflation rate was 8.7% in April from 10.1% in March, the first time inflation fell to single digits since last August. Britain’s Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt last week reiterated the need to stick to the government’s plan to reduce inflation, after official data showed a decline in price rises in April. While it is positive that inflation is now in single digits, food prices continue to rise very rapidly, according to Hunt, who said: “We need to stick firmly to the inflation reduction plan.
Fans wishing to travel to the match by train have been advised by union general secretary Aslef not to attempt to do so on the day.
Disappointment
According to a Rail Transport Group (RDG) spokesperson, the rail strikes “will not only affect our daily journeys, but will also affect those traveling to and from the FA Cup final and other events across the country, causing disappointment and frustration for dozens of people.” thousands of people.”
The strikes will also upset families who had holiday plans and ‘add to the burden of our people who have already lost thousands of pounds in times of financial hardship’.
For his part, the researcher residing in London, member of the British Labor Party, Mustafa Rajab, affirms in exclusive statements to the site “Sky News Arabia Economy”, that the situation is very difficult, and that life is almost stopped in view of this strike and its impact on people’s plans and their movements, especially during holiday days, which witness various occasions including the cup final and concerts, explaining that there is a state of intense anger in Britain, in addition to widespread anger among workers demanding a pay rise.
He points out that “the government is dealing with workers’ demands with intransigence”, comparing the government’s policy on the demands to the policy of the late Prime Minister “Margaret Thatcher” entitled “No offers”, where the government insists on faced with these demands and refuses to negotiate.
The Department for Transport said it had ‘facilitated a fair and reasonable wage offer’, but the union says there were ‘no negotiations to resolve the bitter row after it offered a deal containing all the lines red”.
insistence on demands
Ragab adds: “The unions stand by their position and the workers are determined to continue these strikes until their demands are met”, stressing that these strikes coincide with the FA Cup final between two teams from outside London, while their fans are looking to reach Wembley Stadium next Saturday. Attending this occasion would carry great risks”, in addition to the fact that the strike also includes the weekend and affects the plans of British families to spend their holidays away from home.
And he specifies that “reaching the stadium by bus will not solve the problem, and these buses will not be sufficient to accommodate all these supporters coming from Manchester… and therefore, in my opinion, this day will be a remarkable day in La Grande Britain in light of the crises it may witness as a result”, warning at the same time of the consequences. Anger escalated among the crowd and the police, and a collision was possible.
British economy
This comes at a time when the UK economy is under a significant set of pressures, and in light of high inflation rates, which are still high despite their recent single-digit decline, and despite the relatively positive estimates issued by the International Monetary Fund.
The fund said it no longer expected Britain’s economy to fall into recession this year, as it updated forecasts released last month, but warned the outlook remained weak.
Against this backdrop, he expected UK GDP to grow by 0.4% in the current year 2023, after he expected it to contract by 0.3% in its previous April forecast, but those expectations are weaker than any major economy.
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