By Phil Clarke
LONDON — Britain's railways came to a near halt on June 16 and June 23 as signal workers struck in support of an 11% pay claim. The signal workers are demanding a large pay increase to compensate for greater workloads and the redundancy of nearly 50% of their fellow workers over the last five years. The sackings and increased productivity prepare the way for the forthcoming privatisation of the rail system.
This industrial action is the biggest challenge so far to the Conservative government's 2% pay increase "norm" for public sector workers. A huge political row developed when it became known that the government had intervened to prevent the rail workers being offered a 5.7% deal by their employers, Railtrack, which would have busted the public sector pay norm. Further strikes are being promised by the rail workers union, the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT).
Despite attempts by John Major's government to turn public opinion against the strikers, they have received strong support from commuters fed up with government under-investment in the railway system. Millions of workers have used the two days as holidays in the middle of a very warm and sunny June.
Two of the three candidates for the leadership of Britain's opposition Labour Party — home affairs spokesperson Tony Blair and party deputy leader Margaret Beckett — have maintained a studied silence on the strikes. The third, transport spokesperson John Prescott, has made a vague defence of the "right to strike". This is the least he could do, since he is a member of the RMT and receives regular financial support to represent their interests in parliament.