Contemporary prepare strikes grinding Britain to a halt as holidays start

Britain floor to a halt once more as a contemporary spherical of prepare strikes pressured tens of millions to do business from home.

A prolonged dispute over pay, jobs and circumstances slashed providers yesterday as 20,000 RMT members walked out.

It had a knock-on impact on the roads with queues on the Blackwall Tunnel in Greenwich, South East London.

The RMT will repeat its motion tomorrow and the next Saturday.

Meanwhile, prepare drivers in Aslef at 15 corporations are refusing to work additional time between July 31 and August 5. More chaos is predicted in the present day with National Rail warning of disruption throughout and after strike days.

In some areas solely round half of prepare providers will run, whereas others could have no providers in any respect.

The Rail Delivery Group mentioned the unions will have an effect on the every day commute and “also disrupt families during the summer holidays. We apologise for the inconvenience caused”. It urged individuals to examine earlier than they journey.

The London Underground will even be disrupted subsequent week in the same union dispute.

Rail employees on picket strains at stations yesterday claimed public assist.

RMT normal secretary Mick Lynch mentioned: “We’ve been on strike for over a year. The issues are the same. They’re attacking our jobs. They’re making redundancies. They’re closing services.”

He mentioned it was “up to them to invite us back to the table”.

The Department for Transport urged union leaders to place “fair and reasonable offers to their members so this dispute can be resolved”.

However you journey, we face a weekend of site visitors hell as tens of millions try to make a getaway. Experts estimate 13 million will hit the roads after colleges break up in the present day.

But roadworks and strikes are predicted to place the brakes on, with the AA saying 250,000 autos will break down.

The RAC’s Rod Dennis mentioned hard-up drivers have “scrimped” on automobile care. He urged them to take motion “to avoid a summer surge of breakdowns”.