British rail workers begin strike after rejecting deal

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A massive rail strike in Britain began on Tuesday as workers walk out over a dispute regarding jobs, pay and working conditions.

This week 40,000 employees will walk out after the country's biggest rail union, RMT, rejected a pay offer. The British government has said it would not back down.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that the government has been fair and reasonable in its approach to agreeing to public sector pay raises, and that the winter would likely be a challenging period to get through.

"While the government will do all we can to minimize disruption, the only way we can stop it completely is by unions going back around the table and calling off these strikes," Sunak said. "Beyond that, obviously, it is for unions to decide whether they want to keep inflicting this sort of damage on the public, and indeed on businesses."

Most train companies across Britain are likely to be affected, and Network Rail has urged passengers to "only travel if absolutely necessary".

Rail workers have called for better conditions and pay rises to match the pace of inflation, with the cost of living rising at its fastest rate for more than 40 years.

The government has refused to agree to inflation-linked wage increases.

Last week RMT rejected an offer from the Rail Delivery Group, which would allow for a 4% pay raise this year and another 4% next year. However, that deal would have seen ticket offices closed or repurposed, more Sunday working and greater use of part-time contracts.

After this week, RMT members will go on strike on Christmas Eve and in early January.