R. UNIDO-HUELGA – TELAM Agency
Workers from 14 railway companies in the United Kingdom are carrying out a massive strike today to demand a wage increase, a measure that especially affects those attending the Eurovision final, a very popular annual music contest in Europe, which in this edition is held in Liverpool, North West England.
The forceful measure was called by the Railway, Maritime and Transport union (RMT, for its acronym in English) after rejecting an offer of a 5% salary increase, almost half the annual rate of inflation that stands at 10 ,1%.
Transport Minister Mark Harper said the strikes were “cynically aimed” at the Eurovision final, but RMT denied this.
The general secretary of the union, Mick Lynch, regretted the disruption that the suspension of services could cause, but added that citizens had “plenty of time” to reorganize their trips, since the force measure was announced more than two weeks ago. .
The UK government further claims that the workers rejected a “fair and reasonable” wage offer, but the union also rejected this claim.
“This is part of a long campaign, (because) we still don’t have an agreement, we are almost a year in, there is no offer that we can accept. Despite constant negotiations, we do not have an offer that our members find acceptable,” he said. Lynch in statements to the British channel BBC.
In recent months, sectors such as nurses, doctors and postal workers have gone on strike to demand better wages in the face of the cost of living crisis due to the rise in inflation caused by the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Ambito
