Downing Street has conceded that today‘s mass strike action will be „very difficult“ for the public.
The prime minister‘s official spokesman said it is „disappointing“ that headteachers do not know fully how many teachers will be available for work until later today.
Downing Street said 600 military personnel as well as civil servants and volunteers across government have been trained to fill the gaps in public services.
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said a petition of more than 250,000 signatures opposing new so-called “anti-strike” laws will be delivered to Downing Street.
Union leaders have previously argued that walkouts by staff across multiple sectors would constitute a de facto general strike, the like of which has not been seen in the UK since 1926.
Only the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has the power to call a general strike, though its legality remains unclear after laws were tightened in the 80s.
The umbrella organisation which represents the majority of trade unions in the UK has a total of around 5.5million members.
“RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and government policy
“Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.”
RMT-Generalsekretär Mike Lynch kündigte landesweite Streiks für den kommenden Dienstag, Donnerstag und Samstag an. Es wird mit mehr als 50.000 Streikenden gerechnet. Am Dienstag wollen auch die Beschäftigten der Londoner U-Bahn für 24 Stunden die Arbeit niederlegen.
The week of planned strikes across the country will impact London Underground (Tube), Overground, Elizabeth line and national rail services across the UK between 21 and 26 June 2022. Only around half of Britain’s rail network will be open on strike days, with a very limited service running on lines that will only be open from around 07:30 until 18:30.
This strike action comes as part of separate disputes with both the RMT over pensions, jobs and conditions, and with Unite over pay.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has told members to prepare to “shut down the rail system” with strikes on 21, 23 and 25 June, after a ballot of 40,000 members last month resulted in staff at Network Rail and 13 train operating companies voting overwhelmingly for full-scale industrial action.
About 10,000 more RMT members in London will also hold a further tube strike on 21 June, in a coordinated move designed to head off possible job cuts at Transport for London and in the national rail network.