Since the summer of this year, workers from all walks of life in the UK have frequently gone on strike to fight for wage increases. After entering December, there has been an unprecedented series of strikes. According to a report on the British “Times” website on the 6th, about 40,000 railway employees will go on strike on December 13, 14, 16, 17 and from Christmas Eve to December 27, and the railway network is almost completely closed.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the inflation rate in the UK has reached 11%, and the cost of living of the people has soared, leading to frequent strikes in many industries in the past few months. The British Railways, Maritime and Transport Workers National Union (RMT) union announced on Monday (December 5) evening that it is expected that about 40,000 rail workers in Network Rail and train companies will plan to start from 6 pm on Christmas Eve (December 24). From this point on, a 4-day general strike will be carried out until the 27th, in order to strive for better wages and benefits.

Then, there will be traffic disruptions in the days before and after the strike. RMT said this was in addition to a strike by rail workers that had already been announced and started next week. Earlier, the Transportation Employees Association (TSSA) announced on December 2 that railway workers would hold four 48-hour strike actions: December 13-14, December 16-17, and January 3-4 next year. Sunday and January 6-7. The general strike has been described as the most destructive rail strike in more than 30 years.

According to reports, since December, several unions have continued to lead the strike of railway workers, and the staff of the Eurostar train will also go on strike for several days. RMT announced last week that more than 40,000 railway workers will launch several rounds of strikes. Following the Christmas strike, the next round will be in January next year. I am afraid that passengers and freight will also be affected around the New Year holiday.

Maersk stated that the strike will lead to serious interruption of the entire British railway network. It is working closely with railway freight operators every day to understand the impact of the strike on inland operations and to notify customers of schedule changes and cancellation services in a timely manner. In order to minimize disruption to customers, customers are advised to plan ahead to mitigate the impact on inbound cargo flow.

However, the rail sector is not the only industry currently facing strike action in the UK, with the Union of Public Services (Unison, Unite and GMB) announcing on the 30th last month that ambulance workers voted in favor of industrial action, may launch a strike before Christmas. In recent months, there have been waves of strikes in British education, postal services and other industries. The 360 porters at London’s Heathrow Airport (Heathrow Airport) outsourcing company will also go on strike for 72 hours from December 16. Bars and restaurants say strike action by rail workers over the Christmas period will deal a major blow to their business.