As rail employees resume their strike action on Saturday, the final weekend before Christmas will be marred by additional delays for travelers.
As RMT union members enter the second day of their latest 48-hour walkout, most services are impacted.
Network Rail has warned passengers to only take trains when necessary.
The strikes occur when retailers and hotel organizations attempt to increase sales during the crucial holiday season.
Thousands of rail workers have already gone on strike this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday as part of a protracted dispute over jobs, wages, and working conditions.
Saturday is the fourth day of strikes this week and the twelfth since the RMT union voted in the summer for industrial action. Sunday, a non-strike day, is also prone to disruption because morning services begin later.
Friday, Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT, the largest rail union in the United Kingdom, stated that both parties must “operate rapidly” to terminate the strikes.
He stated that there had been “an exchange of opinions,” but that employers, ministers, and unions needed to meet.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents railway operators, expressed optimism that a settlement might be reached, stating that discussions had been “laborious” but “productive.”
The RMT is engaged in two separate negotiations, one with Network Rail, where it represents approximately 20,000 signallers and maintenance workers, and another with the Rail Delivery Group, where it represents a comparable number of workers at 14 train companies.
Rail workers have demanded wage increases commensurate with the rising cost of living and improved working conditions.
The rail business has been severely impacted by the pandemic, and rail executives have argued that reforms are necessary to finance wage increases and modernize the line.
Strikes rock-solid
After this week’s strikes, Mr. Lynch lauded the members for exhibiting “extraordinary decency and unwavering resolve.”
“They have demonstrated the significance of their work to the economy and society as a whole,” he remarked.
Forecasters have cautioned that more snow and ice might cause additional travel disruptions.
On Sunday, the Met Office issued yellow warnings for snow and ice in large portions of Scotland, Wales, and England.
Recent severe weather has already caused difficult travel conditions, with snow and ice damaging major roadways and runway closures at airports resulting in aircraft delays and cancellations.
The railway employees’ strikes are part of a wave of industrial action by various industries.
While supporting the right to strike, Business Secretary Grant Shapps told Radio 4’s Today that “people should also have the freedom to enjoy their life.”
“Some of the persons most affected by strikes, particularly on the railways, are hospital porters and cleaners who must physically get to work,” he stated.
He admonished against a “1970s cycle” of strikes and inflation, adding that industrial action is occurring “because of Putin because he invaded a country that pushed up energy prices, which pushed up inflation, which pushed up wage expectations to the point where, unfortunately, we couldn’t afford to pay it all. Putin has unfortunately made us all a bit poorer.
Retail analytics provider Springboard, which analyses traffic in stores, showed that the rail strikes on Monday and Tuesday affected the number of shoppers on High Streets and other retail hotspots.
Springboard said that from Monday to Wednesday, foot traffic was 5.2% lower on all UK High Streets compared to the same days in 2021.
The organization reported that foot traffic on High Streets was 15.1% lower on those three days compared to the same days last week.
The company’s director of marketing and insights, Diane Wehrle, stated that, under normal conditions, foot traffic would have increased this week, as this is the last full trade week before Christmas Day and hence would be the busiest shopping week, with higher foot traffic than last week.
She noted, “obviously footfall is affected by a variety of factors,” but emphasized a decline in footfall during strike days, especially in central London.
Other factors that may affect foot traffic include colder weather, higher prices, and an increase in online buying.
However, Ms. Wehrle reported that over the same week in the two years preceding the pandemic, foot traffic increased by 10.2% in 2018 and 7.2% in 2019.
The next RMT strike is set from 18:00 GMT on Christmas Eve to 06:00 GMT on December 27, while members of the smaller TSSA union will strike at three train companies between December 26 and 29.
The RMT is planning additional strikes for early January.
