STRIKES have crippled the UK’s rail network impacting millions of commuters and travellers.
A pay dispute with Network Rail and some Department of Transport rail-operating companies has seen around 40,000 workers strike, with picket lines set up across London and in other cities.
The action by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has led to the cancellation of 80% of the UK’s train services, with further action set to be taken on June 23 and 25.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson attacked the “union barons” who will “add to people’s costs”, and Labour leader Keir Starmer drew criticism from within his own party after telling frontbenchers not to join workers on the picket lines.
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar ignores Keir Starmer’s orders amid Labour civil war over rail strikes
However, the support for the strikers on the streets seems to be much stronger than at the top levels of the UK political parties.
Gordon Martin, the RMT’s Scotland organiser, told The National that the members of the public he’d spoken to had been “extremely” supportive of the strike action.
He said: “I’ve got to be honest, one or two people have been hostile, but the overwhelming majority of people I’ve spoken to this morning have been extremely supportive."
“Why are they supportive?" Martin (above) went on: "Because they are fellow workers. They’re workers in other industries. What many of them are saying to me is they wish they were in a union that would fight for them the way that we’re fighting for our members and our members are fighting for themselves.
“I would encourage the workers of Scotland, if you’re not in a trade union, to join it.”
A snap YouGov poll on June 21, the first day of the strikes, found that Scots were more likely to support the strikes than people elsewhere in the UK.
A total of 49% of people in Scotland said they either "strongly support" or "tend to support" the action, the highest of any part of the UK.
The National hit the streets of Glasgow – outside the city’s two main stations Central and Queen Street – to see how the public were perceiving the strikes:
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel