UK hit by second rail strike

LONDON

Travel on Britain’s railway system ground to a halt again yesterday, as the second of three days of widespread strike action this week billed as the biggest in decades got underway.

Thousands of rail workers staged the latest day-long walkout over pay and working conditions, plunging commutes into chaos and forcing many people to stay at home.

Only around a fifth of services are set to operate on heavily reduced hours, with those still running starting much later in the morning than usual and to end as early as 6:30 pm.

A third day of strikes is planned for tomorrow.

With Britain suffering from rocketing inflation and stagnant economic growth, the industrial action, which could be mirrored by workers in other sectors over the summer, has echoes of the 1970s.

Then, the country was crippled by a wave of strikes across various industries while struggling with rampant price rises and non-existent growth, a toxic combination known as stagflation.

The RMT rail union insists this week’s actions are necessary as wages have failed to keep pace with U.K. inflation, which has hit a 40-year high and is on course to keep rising.

It also wants a threat of compulsory redundancies withdrawn.

“The railways need to be properly funded by taxpayer money in order to keep them safe, efficient and properly maintained and updated,” the union said on Twitter yesterday, as its members picketed stations across the country.