Passengers leaving Gatwick face a scene of ‘pandemonium’ as train services continue to be curtailed as strikes during the festive season continue to wreck travel plans.
The 48-hour strike by rail and shipping union members was due to end at 6 a.m. Tuesday, but was followed by significant delays and cancellations, putting pressure on other transportation at the airport.
The Gatwick Express service was suspended until 2 January, with thousands of people on strike waiting for taxis and National Express coaches in long lines outside the airport.
Hundreds of trains normally run on December 26, but a rail, maritime and transport (RMT) union strike disrupted Tuesday. Meanwhile, passengers were told to prepare for a “massively disrupted” trip into the new year amid a wave of industrial unrest sweeping across the country.
CrossCountry’s Transportation Salary Officials Association (TSSA) announced that it will be operating from 9:00 to 24:00 on Boxing Day as part of a long-running campaign to ensure there will be no forced layoffs, no unauthorized changes to contract terms, and no pay increases. We did a time strike. Cope with the rising cost of living.
A 48-hour strike called by the RMT over another dispute over jobs, wages and conditions that began on Christmas Eve and ended at 6 a.m. is still having an impact.
One Twitter user wrote: Gatwick airport was a total mess and I want to take the bus to Caterham and then home from there. ”
Coach operators National Express and Megabus are experiencing overwhelming demand as people seek alternative modes of transportation. Motorists also face disruption, with thousands of people taking to the road instead. The AA said he expects 15.2 million cars on British roads on Boxing Day.
There were no trains to and from Gatwick Airport station on Boxing Day. Regular services are Gatwick Express, Southern, Thameslink and Great Western Railway. Similar to rail strikes, border guard strikes continue at his six airports in the UK, including Gatwick.
About 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union, employed by the Home Office to run passport booths, have been deployed at Heathrow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester airports and New Haven in East Sussex. Stopped at the port. Except Tuesday, they will not be working for the rest of the year as part of their strike action.
Public and Commercial Service (PCS) General Secretary Mark Serwodka predicted a “significant escalation” of industrial action across civil servants in January unless cabinet ministers enter negotiations.
Despite the airport being undisturbed, he insisted: attack The action was “well done”, as he claimed the travelers were simply “waved” and their passports hadn’t been checked properly.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “sad and disappointed” by the turmoil, but insisted the government had acted “fairly and reasonably” about public remuneration.
