A view of a station during a railway workers' strike, London, UK, July 27, 2022. /AFP
英国国家统计局7月20日发布的数据显示，英国6月消费者价格指数同比上涨9.4%，再创40年来新高。这无疑加剧了英国民众的生活压力。
一个月前，英国才发起了30年来最大规模的铁路罢工行动。然而，一波未平一波又起！
当地时间7月27日， 因工作岗位、薪酬和工作条件等争议未能解决，英国全国铁路、海运和运输工人工会按计划再次举行罢工，4万多名铁路职工和14家火车运营公司参与，导致全国只有20%的火车运营，一些地区当天甚至无火车运营。
虽然“欧洲之星”的员工没有参与罢工行动，但是通行于英法海底隧道的列车依旧受到波及而减少了班次，只有伦敦地铁和公共汽车照常运行。
Around 40,000 British railway workers staged a walkout on Wednesday, a month after the largest strike in 30 years as the UK battles its worst cost-of-living crisis in decades.
The nationwide walkout over pay and conditions brought the rail network to a virtual standstill with only one in five trains running and caused major disruption to rush-hour commuters as many simply stayed at home. With inflation at a 40-year high and set to worsen, the cost-of-living crisis presents a major challenge to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, who are vying to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a leadership contest.
London underground trains and buses ran as normal, but Eurostar reduced the number of trains through the Channel Tunnel as a knock-on effect, despite its staff not joining the walkout.
英国铁路、海事及运输工会秘书长米克·林奇表示，罢工是非常有必要的，因为薪资调涨赶不上英国通货膨胀飙升的速度。目前，英国通胀率达9.4%，而且还将继续上涨。
林奇说：“英国铁路网公司并没有改善员工的待遇，铁路公司也没有提供任何新的方案。”
最后，林奇强调：“政府需要停止干涉此次争端，（只有这样）雇主才会和我们协商解决问题。”
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT rail union, argues strikes are necessary as wages have failed to keep pace with UK inflation, currently at 9.4 percent and on course to keep rising.
"Network Rail have not made any improvement on their previous pay offer and the train companies have not offered us anything new," Lynch said.
Wednesday's 24-hour strike came after RMT staged a three-day walkout last month, also virtually paralyzing the rail network.
"The government needs to stop their interference in this dispute so the rail employers can come to a negotiated settlement with us," said Lynch.
然而，英国交通大臣格兰特·沙普斯谴责了罢工行动。他表示，工会的做法非常激进。该工会未向会员提供有关薪酬谈判的情况，而只是呼吁举行更多罢工，这是企图转移注意力。
政府则敦促工会领导人和铁路公司解决争端，铁路运输服务有望于周四早上恢复。
然而，据英国媒体当地时间7月27日报道，因薪酬谈判破裂，英国机车工程师和消防员协会当天宣布于8月13日罢工一天，将有9个公司的火车司机参加。
"They don't need to speak to ministers to resolve this because their employers are the people who have the mandate to negotiate this," Transport Minister Grant Shapps told Sky News.
"This is just trying to distract attention," Shapps added.
The government urged union bosses and train operators to resolve the dispute.
Services were expected to resume early Thursday.
The Aslef trade union, which represents train drivers, announced a fresh strike for August 13.
