Britain: About 5,000 train drivers in Britain went on strike on Saturday as part of a push to raise wages after the country’s inflation rate reached its highest level in 40 years.
The 24-hour strike by the ASLEF, which includes about a quarter of Britain’s rail network, is the second major strike of its kind this week after 40,000 members of the two RM unions staged a strike. TT and TSSA, which represent other railway workers, went on a major strike on Wednesday.
High inflation and disproportionate wage increases exacerbated labour tensions in various sectors, including the postal services, health, schools, airports and the judiciary.
Consumer price inflation is currently 9.4 percent.
The strike is expected to cause “significant disruption” to trains throughout Saturday and Sunday morning, according to estimates from Network Rail, which manages Britain’s rail infrastructure.
Almost all flights operated by seven of the country’s 34 rail operators have been cancelled, including the Southeast and East England regional networks as well as the long-haul links connecting London to the southwest of England, northeast England and Edinburgh. The ASLEEF union plans to hold another one-day strike on August 13.
