2 Months after last strike, mayhem strikes again. The Ixl Company debate

CANARY WHARF, U.K. - April 29, 2014 - PRLog -- Once again London underground’s tube strikes are causing mayhem in and around the city, but why is this happening on such a large scale after earlier strikes in the year? The Ixl Company debates the impacts

Commuters across the capital are facing severe disruption due to members of the RMT, (Rail, Maritime and Transport union) going on a 48 hour strike over plans cut over 900 jobs by closing all ticket offices. Only 50% of services are running leaving commuters in mayhem trying to get to work. The Ixl Company explains the effect it has not only on workers but also the general public.

“Not only does this mean huge stresses for commuters, but companies struggle with missing or late staff, especially smaller companies with just a few employees, children being picked up from school late puts a strain on teachers and parents and those generally travelling day to day are disrupted” says Emma, Receptionist at The Ixl Company. Since the last strike in February 2014, London underground and the union have met dozens of times, yet London has still had to face another 48 hour tube strike, due to end at around 9pm on Wednesday 30^th April, just months later.

“As much disruption as these strikes cause, the main question is why this has happened again so quickly after the February strikes” says Sam Mouden, Managing Director of The Ixl Company. The strikes are due to the planned closure of ticket offices across London costing up to 1,000 jobs. The strikes in February were to suspend plans to allow a review of individual stations before deciding to close the ticket office in that station. Members of the Union are striking to allow public consultation of these decisions be made to avoid the loss of jobs and ‘compulsory redundancies’.

There are, of course, two sides to every story. “It is understandable that the union is going on strike to keep jobs, however, the ticket offices across London cost us money, and taxes, and if services are able to run just as well or potentially even better without ticket offices, then why waste Londoners money on running them when it could be spent elsewhere?” says Sam Mouden, Managing Director of The Ixl Company. Plans have been made to keep as many lines as possible running, there’s has been a 70% increase in the rental of London’s Barclays bikes, as well as more than 200 additional buses to help cope with the influx in commuters using buses across London. “Thankfully we are close to Crossharbour and South Quay DLR stations, which is one of the few unaffected lines and so we have not had too much trouble, but it must be extremely difficult for those having to travel across London via bus or even bike, which of course are a lot slower and busier especially during strike action” says Emma, Receptionist at The Ixl Company.

With yet another scheduled strike to hit London on May 5^th, for as long as 72 hours, commuters are to be prepared for more disruption and mayhem if the issues are not resolved between London underground and the Union by then. “Sadly, the main sufferers during these strikes are commuters, those that work, pay taxes and at the end of the day pay for London Underground, everyone affected is hoping the problems can be resolved between them rather than affecting those that seem to be stuck in the middle more than anything” says Sam Mouden, Managing Director of The Ixl Company.

If no decision is agreed between the unions before Monday another 72 hour strike will go ahead causing yet more issues across London, commuters are warned to prepare for the worst and plan their journeys ahead of schedule.