Londoners struggle to work amid subway strike

London: Londoners squeezed onto overcrowded buses, boarded river boats, pedaled bikes or walked in the rain Wednesday as thousands of subway workers went on strike.

Tempers frayed as buses struggled through heavier-than-normal rush-hour traffic.

Each day about 3.5 million people use London's Underground network, commonly known as the Tube.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, which represents 10,000 members, walked off their jobs late on Tuesday after last-minute talks with Underground management broke down.

The strike is due to last through Thursday, with full service resuming on Friday morning.

The planned 48-hour walkout has so far been London's most disruptive transit strike since September 2007.

On Wednesday, nine of London's 11 subway lines were fully or partly closed, prompting many commuters to cram into buses or seek boat passage along the River Thames.

The walkout was also likely to frustrate thousands travelling on Wednesday to north London's Wembley Stadium for England's World Cup qualifying soccer match against Andorra.

Mayor Boris Johnson urged union leaders to return to talks aimed at resolving disputes over pay, disciplinary issues and job losses.

Do you think this strike will provide good results? Or will this negatively impact the economy?

Its about time the Mayor took some action against the Transport Authorities, with the economy struggling last year, the Transport For London(TFL) were one of the few companies to get a pay rise of 2.5% across the board. With a lot of people walking and cycling to work, the strike will definitely make the people of London healthier.
Ayman
London,UK
Posted: June 11, 2009, 11:52