The largest railway strike in the last 30 years has begun in the UK, according to Reuters. Another workers’ protest blocked most of the London Underground.
More than 50,000 station workers, repairmen, liaison officers, and cleaners are taking part in the railway strike, who will protest today, Thursday, and Saturday. They demand higher wages and better working conditions.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson said that the strike will negatively affect the country’s business, which is still recovering from the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, unions say the strike is necessary because the sector’s wages are lagging behind inflation, which has reached a 40-year high. They warn that Britain is facing a wave of strikes this summer, as rising prices will hit the pockets of workers in all sectors of the economy.
Prime Minister Johnson has said unions are harming the people they are trying to help, according to Reuters.
The three-day national rail strike coincides with several major events, including the Glastonbury Music Festival.
Schools warn that thousands of teenagers who have to take national exams will also suffer from the traffic blockade.