London – 09 July 2015 – After a long thirteen years’ gap London witnesses another shutdown. On 8th of July 2015, the Underground of London closed down due to the drivers’ protests for the new “pay and plan” of a “new 24-hour service” which is scheduled to begin in the coming month of September.
As per the information provided by the Channel News Asia:
As per the information provided by the Channel News Asia:
“Commuters rushed home ahead of the start of the strike at 6.30pm (1.30am Singapore time Thursday), as unions mounted picket lines outside stations and Transport for London (TfL) began reporting delays.”
The Londoners’ can expect a “full shutdown” in the following days to come, which can last for minimum two days, whereby the “disruptions to the British capital's public transport” can be more prevalent during this period of time. Moreover the Transport for London Department was even warned to that effect.
TfL or the Transport for London is a “local” governmental organisation which organises almost all the aspects of the transport system of the London city. In order to tackle the emergency situation, TfL has braced themselves by taking various provisional steps, for example it posted “walking maps” of the city of London on to their website, announced that it would lay extra two hundred bus services along with install numerous “rental hubs” for bicycle. One of the statements made the “network administrator” goes something like this:
"Londoners who own a bike are encouraged to cycle to work".
Keeping the closing match of the “Wimbledon tennis tournament” which will take place during this weekend, Transport service department of London seems to have informed that the department would a “taxi-sharing service” which will start at the “nearest train station”. The spokesperson of the Prime Minister David Cameron at a “daily briefing”, keeping the London underground Issue in mind, stated that:
"We're very clear that it's unacceptable and unjustified. It's going to hit families, workers, businesses across the capital".
In fact, the mayor of the London city, Boris Johnson commented on his tweeter account saying:
"Tube strike politically motivated - union bosses need to explain why they refuse to put new offer to members - disgraceful - call it off!"
The new service system, which has raised so many hue and cries among the drivers, included a proposal of “all-night” Underground bus services, which was to effectuate from the month of September, whereby many of the bus lines will be open throughout night. Moreover, the payments of staffs were said to increase by “an average 2.0-per cent” in the present year, whereby the pay would be increased as per the rise of the inflation in the coming two years. Besides that, the drivers were also promised a bonus of “£2,000” for the new “overnight service”.
The managing director of London Underground’s department, Mike Brown in of the opinion that the Tube services that would be provided all night will in turn “support jobs and boost the city's economy”. Moreover, the offer suggested to the union drivers was "remarkably fair". However, the union members are of the different opinion, as Finn Brennan, a member of the “Aslef trade union”, termed the said offer as "foolish games of brinkmanship".
References:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/strike-begins-against-24/1971028.html
