London was hit by yet another chaotic tube strike today. On Friday, it's the fire brigade's turn to walk out. Londoner’s patience with the unions is running out.
Extra buses and just a fraction of tube lines affected was the promise from London Underground as late as yesterday.
My commute normally takes about 40 minutes by tube. Today it took over three hours, on four different buses. All tube lines were partly closed, and over loaded buses were too full to let passengers on at the bus stops.
Most Londoners are completely dependant on public transport (and it doesn't come cheap) and thus in the hands of what the unions decide.
After waiting for hours in the cold at a rainy bus stop in Harrow, I couldn't help but thinking of the tube workers safe and warm at home on their day off.
They claim the reason is mainly public safety being threatened by planned job cuts. I do suspect however, that it comes down to the cuts themselves. Worrying in times as these - I agree. But this is most people face on the current job market.
Next up is the firebrigade
As the fire-brigade plans to strike this Friday and Saturday, one wonders if it's a coincidence that they chose bonfire night weekend.
On average, bonfire night means five times more secondary fires, and it's usually the busiest weekend in the year for the fire-brigade.
The fire-men's dispute is over longer day-shifts that the claim will affect their family life. Understandably a concern, but there should never be an excuse for putting the public at serious risk.
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