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Tube strike hits London commuters
Source: Agencies |
November 30, 2010, Tuesday
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MILLIONS of Londoners battled to get to work in freezing conditions yesterday as the city's underground rail workers staged a 24-hour strike, their fourth walkout since September over proposed station job cuts.
Transport for London (TFL), which operates the publicly controlled network known as the Tube, said 10 of its 11 lines were open, though many were not fully functioning, trying the patience of weary commuters used to enduring daily disruptions on the 140-year-old creaking network.
TFL said under half of its trains were running and about 70 underground stations were closed out of 270 in total. Unions said 114 had been shut, accusing management of operating "ghost trains" with few people on them in a public relations exercise.
Only the Docklands Light Railway arm serving the financial district in the east of the city was running normally, it said.
London Underground said earlier it had been able to run 40 percent of its normal services, but the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' (RMT) union said industrial action had been "rock solid," knocking out or severely disrupting most lines since the strike began on Sunday evening.
"Some people will experience significant disruptions, yes, but it's a mixed picture and we certainly wouldn't agree that the entire system has been closed down," a TFL spokesman said.
A cold snap gripping the country piled on the misery for commuters as they cycled, walked, took taxis or queued for buses with the Met Office forecasting icy conditions would last for a number of days.
The Tube carries some 3 million passengers daily and business lobbies have said the stoppages cost the capital up to 50 million pounds (US$79 million) per day.
There are signs that industrial unrest may be building in Britain - the newly head of Britain's largest trade union Unite told Britain's government that more strikes were inevitable as workers reacted to job losses and spending cuts.
Transport for London (TFL), which operates the publicly controlled network known as the Tube, said 10 of its 11 lines were open, though many were not fully functioning, trying the patience of weary commuters used to enduring daily disruptions on the 140-year-old creaking network.
TFL said under half of its trains were running and about 70 underground stations were closed out of 270 in total. Unions said 114 had been shut, accusing management of operating "ghost trains" with few people on them in a public relations exercise.
Only the Docklands Light Railway arm serving the financial district in the east of the city was running normally, it said.
London Underground said earlier it had been able to run 40 percent of its normal services, but the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' (RMT) union said industrial action had been "rock solid," knocking out or severely disrupting most lines since the strike began on Sunday evening.
"Some people will experience significant disruptions, yes, but it's a mixed picture and we certainly wouldn't agree that the entire system has been closed down," a TFL spokesman said.
A cold snap gripping the country piled on the misery for commuters as they cycled, walked, took taxis or queued for buses with the Met Office forecasting icy conditions would last for a number of days.
The Tube carries some 3 million passengers daily and business lobbies have said the stoppages cost the capital up to 50 million pounds (US$79 million) per day.
There are signs that industrial unrest may be building in Britain - the newly head of Britain's largest trade union Unite told Britain's government that more strikes were inevitable as workers reacted to job losses and spending cuts.
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