The London Underground was almost paralyzed on Friday and the rest of the public transport network severely disrupted by a strike for wages in the face of inflation at its highest in the United Kingdom, the day after a massive walkout by railway workers.
"There is virtually no service" in the London Underground, although "two lines offer reduced traffic" with a train every 15 minutes or so, said a spokeswoman for public transport operator TfL.
Bus traffic, overloaded due to the withdrawal of many Londoners on this mode of transport, was also disrupted.
massive strike
The United Kingdom is experiencing these days a new salvo of massive walkouts in transport, post, ports, the biggest strike movement in decades in the face of inflation.
A new day of strike is notably planned in the trains on Saturday.
Negotiations with the multitude of private rail operators in the sector are deadlocked, according to the unions.
The latter also rejected an offer of an 8% wage increase over two years from Network Rail, a public company managing railway lines, which they accuse of being conditional on massive layoffs.
Transport Minister Grant Shapps, accused by the unions of blocking the situation, for his part criticizes the unions for refusing reforms to modernize rail.
He could go through in force, he assured Sky News on Friday.
"If we can't implement these modernizations, we will have to impose (them)," he said.
World
United Kingdom: An unprecedented general strike which "testifies to the malaise" of an entire population
Economy
United Kingdom: Inflation exceeds 10% and weighs on the cost of living
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