Babak Belurs

Sabtu, 01 Oktober 2022

Train strike: Worst rail disruption of year as workers walk out - BBC

Members of the RMT, TSSA and ASLEF staff join the picket line at Euston station

More than 50,000 workers are taking part in a strike resulting in the worst rail disruption of the year so far.

Members of four unions are staging 24-hour walkout in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

It means only 11% of usual train services are running, with large areas of the UK with no services at all.

Unions say there has been little progress in resolving disputes, while rail bosses want pay to be linked to modernisation.

It is the first time the four unions - RMT, Aslef, Unite and the TSSA - have walked out on the same day. The co-ordinated action involves about 54,000 members, meaning services are more disrupted than on previous strike days when only one or two unions were striking.

Large parts of the network have virtually ground to a halt with only about one in 10 services running, and trains starting later and finishing earlier than usual.

No trains are running between London and major cities including Edinburgh, Brighton and Newcastle.

Some operators including Northern, Avanti West Coast and Southeastern are not running any trains for the entire day. Heathrow Express is also suspended.

In Scotland, ScotRail is running only 20% of services between 07:30 BST and 18:30 in the central belt, Borders and Fife, with no trains running elsewhere on the network.

Many who had planned journeys to the capital for the London Marathon are having to rethink their plans. Those running the major charity fundraising event have to collect their event pack at ExCel London by the end of Saturday.

Most services on Sunday will start later than usual following Saturday's disruption, but London Marathon has said Southeastern trains would get passengers to the start line on time.

The strike will also affect delegates travelling to and from the Conservative party conference, which begins on Sunday, as well as thousands of people heading to football matches and other events.

'It's hitting normal people'

Karen Andrews, from Staffordshire, is raising money for her local hospital's breast care unit, where she was treated for cancer.

When the strike was announced, she says all her plans were "thrown into disarray": "Every morning... I've thought how are we going to work this out."

In the end her husband had to travel to London during the week to collect Karen's race pack and is driving her to the capital for the race.

"I understand people wanting pay rises, of course, but it's hitting normal people"," she says.

"I had to come to London a day earlier, and I will stay until Monday - so all this costs," says fellow runner David Wright, who lives in Dover.

"I'm very disappointed in Mick Lynch," he tells BBC News. "Strikes don't work."

"I'm also angry with the government - they are not doing enough," he says.

Speaking from a picket line at London's Euston Station, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "We haven't targeted the London Marathon, we've more targeted the Tory conference, if we're honest with you - because they're the people responsible for this mess."

He apologised for the inconvenience caused to people, adding that they would much rather have a settlement.

But he said members had to keep going with the dispute, which has lasted nearly six months. He said he believed workers had the public's full support.

He said on Saturday that members will be balloted again on further strikes. The six-month mandate for strikes runs out at the end of November.

Empty platforms at Paddington train station during strike action on Saturday 1 October

Eli Skipper, an ambulance responder based in Leicester, is among the many shift workers affected by the action. She told BBC News she has had to cancel her scheduled work as she is unable to get to the event in Nottingham. Further strike action on 8 October means she has also had to cancel next Saturday's shift.

"This is a large loss of earnings for me, particularly in the current crisis - with rising cost of living - and on top of two shifts cancellations due to the Queen's funeral." says Eli, 27

But she adds: "I support the strikes. I understand what people are standing for. The government needs to listen to the unions.

"Some of their concerns are about safety, so it's not just about wages."

The RMT union expects more than 40,000 of its members who work at Network Rail and 16 train companies will not show up for work on Saturday. Joining them are 9,000 train drivers who are members of Aslef, working at 12 train companies.

The TSSA also expects about 5,000 of its staff to walk out, alongside a few hundred members of the Unite union.

Aslef is planning a further train drivers' strike on 5 October, and another RMT walkout is scheduled for 8 October.

The Department for Transport said disruption over the weekend would "push passengers further away" and called on union bosses to reconsider.

The new Transport Secretary, Anne Marie Trevelyan, has so far met the general secretaries of both Aslef and the RMT, which has been described as a "good start".

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said the train drivers' union would continue with talks and remained optimistic. He told BBC Breakfast: "We're not very close at all - but again, every time we meet there's an opportunity for something else on the table."

Passengers wait on the concourse at Paddington train station in London during a 24-hour strike by four unions

Aslef maintains many drivers are effectively being given a pay cut because of the rising cost of living.

Rail bosses have consistently said they want to give employees a pay rise, but there is pressure to save money after the Covid pandemic when the rail service had to be propped with taxpayers' money.

The industry argues reforms are necessary to make the service more cost efficient, but the RMT rejected the latest pay offer of 4% in the first year, plus another 4% in the second year, which was conditional on reforms.

Network Rail has repeatedly called on the union to allow members to vote on the offer, which it has called "a decent package".

Royal Mail workers are also on picket lines outside delivery and sorting offices on Saturday, on the second day of their 48-hour strike, in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Communication Workers Union members also plan to strike for 24 hours from 04:00 on 13, 20, and 25 October and 28 November. The union said it reflects the "level of anger" workers feel.

The Royal Mail Group said further strikes would make its financial position worse and threaten workers' job security.

Have you been affected by the current train strikes? You can share your experience by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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2022-10-01 13:28:36Z
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Train strike: Worst rail disruption of year as workers walk out - BBC

More than 50,000 workers are taking part in a strike which is causing the worst rail disruption of the year so far.

Members of four unions are staging 24-hour walkout in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

It means only 11% of usual train services are running, with large areas of the UK with no services at all.

Unions say there is little progress in resolving disputes, while rail bosses want pay to be linked to modernisation.

Large parts of the network have virtually ground to a halt with only about one in 10 services running, and trains starting later and finishing earlier than usual.

No trains are running between London and major cities including Edinburgh, Brighton and Newcastle.

Some operators including Northern, Avanti West Coast and Southeastern are not running any trains for the entire day.

In Scotland, ScotRail will only run 20% of services between 07:30 BST and 18:30 in the central belt, Borders and Fife, with no trains running elsewhere on the ScotRail network.

Most services on Sunday will start later than usual following Saturday's disruption, but London Marathon said Southeastern trains would get passengers to the start line on time.

The strike will also affect delegates travelling to and from the Conservative party conference, which begins on Sunday, as well as thousands of people heading to football matches and other events.

'It's hitting normal people'

Karen Andrews from Staffordshire is raising money for her local hospital's breast care unit, where she was treated for cancer.

She was meant to travel down by train on Saturday, but when the strike was announced, "everything was thrown into disarray".

"I've not slept very well since I knew that we were affected," she said. "And every morning when I've woken up I've thought how are we going to work this out."

She could not take time off work, but her husband decided to go to London during the week to collect her race pack. He will now be driving her down on Saturday.

"I understand people wanting pay rises, of course, but it's hitting normal people".

Speaking from a picket line at London's Euston Station, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "We haven't targeted the London Marathon, we've more targeted the Tory conference - if we're honest with you - because they're the people responsible for this mess."

He apologised for the inconvenience caused to people, saying they would much rather have a settlement.

But he said members had to keep going with the dispute, which has lasted nearly six months, adding he believed workers had the public's full support.

Next week members would be balloted again on further strikes, he added. The six-month mandate for strikes runs out at the end of November.

"This is a large loss of earnings for me, particularly in the current crisis - with rising cost of living - and on top of two shifts cancellations due to the Queen's funeral." said Eli, 27

But she added: "I support the strikes. I understand what people are standing for. The government needs to listen to the unions.

"Some of their concerns are about safety, so it's not just about wages."

'Pushing passengers away'

The RMT union expects more than 40,000 of its members who work at Network Rail and 16 train companies will not show up for work.

Joining them are 9,000 train drivers who are members of Aslef, working at 12 train companies. Heathrow Express, the fast service between London Paddington and the airport, is suspended.

The TSSA also expects about 5,000 of its staff to walk out. A few hundred members of the Unite union have strike action scheduled too.

The Aslef union also plans a train drivers' strike on 5 October, with another RMT walkout scheduled for 8 October.

The Department for Transport said disruption over the weekend would "push passengers further away" and called on union bosses to reconsider.

The new Transport Secretary, Anne Marie Trevelyan, has so far met the general secretaries of both Aslef and the RMT, which had been described as a "good start".

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said the train drivers' union would continue with talks and remained optimistic.

But he told BBC Breakfast: "We're not very close at all - but again, every time we meet there's an opportunity for something else on the table."

Aslef says many drivers are effectively being given a pay cut because of the rising cost of living.

Rail bosses have consistently said they do want to give a pay rise.

There is pressure to save money due to the pandemic, when the government effectively took control of the railway, and billions of taxpayers' money was poured in to keep services going.

With travel patterns changed, the industry argues reforms are necessary to prevent taxpayers or farepayers having to put in more money.

Network Rail, which maintains the tracks and signalling systems, is pressing ahead with trying to implement changes to how its maintenance teams work. They were proving a sticking point in negotiations and could mean job losses.

The RMT rejected the latest pay offer of 4% in the first year, plus another 4% in the second year, conditional on reforms. Other benefits like discounted rail travel were included.

But Network Rail has repeatedly called on the union to allow members to vote on the offer.

Its chief executive Andrew Haines told the BBC he thought it was a "decent package" and there was a balance needed between protecting jobs and ensuring the growth of the railway system.

Royal Mail workers are also on picket lines outside delivery and sorting offices, on the second day of their 48-hour strike, in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Communication Workers Union members also plan to strike for 24 hours from 04:00 on 13, 20, and 25 October and 28 November.

These walkouts will hit the peak postal build-up to Christmas including Black Friday week and Cyber Monday.

It said its "significant announcement" on dates reflects the "level of anger" workers feel. But the Royal Mail Group said further strikes would make its financial position worse and threaten workers' job security.

Have you been affected by the current train strikes? You can share your experience by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803
Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
Or fill out the form below
Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

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Jumat, 30 September 2022

Sterling almost erases losses from Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-Budget - Financial Times

Sterling on Friday hit its highest level against the US dollar since chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng delivered the UK’s “mini” Budget a week ago.

The pound rose as much as 1.1 per cent to $1.1234 in morning dealings, almost erasing its losses from a steep sell-off this week sparked by concerns over the £45bn debt-financed tax-cutting package in the UK. Sterling later pared its gains to $1.116.

The moves on Friday came as Kwarteng and Prime Minister Liz Truss met officials at the Office for Budget Responsibility, the independent forecaster. Securing costings for the new fiscal plans is seen in financial markets as essential to restoring the government’s economic credibility.

“Maximum panic is over,” said Rupert Thompson, investment strategist at Kingswood. “We’re back close to where we were before the whole thing blew up a week ago.”

However, the brief rebound still left sterling down almost 9 per cent over the past three months, its worst quarter since the 2008 financial crisis. Reaction to the UK’s new fiscal plans had sent the pound to a record low of $1.035 against the dollar this week.

The strength of the US dollar, as investors seek a haven from falling stock and bond prices — and as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates aggressively — has added to the UK currency’s woes. The dollar advanced 0.3 per cent on Friday against a basket of six other currencies.

“When everything is underperforming the natural place to park is US dollar cash,” said Adam Cole, head of foreign exchange strategy at RBC Capital Markets. “At the root of all of those moves is tighter monetary policy but it’s playing out in slightly unusual ways.”

The outlook for the UK currency remained gloomy, Cole said, as Kwarteng’s budget had only highlighted underlying economic issues that were weighing down on sterling.

“I think what last Friday did was throw a very bright spotlight on some issues that we were already worried about, namely the macroeconomic imbalances in the UK,” he added.

Analysts warned that a negative assessment from the OBR or a clash between the independent forecaster and the government could deliver a fresh knock to sterling.

“It would be damaging if the OBR publish a serious forecast and the government takes issue with the growth assumption,” said Cole.

Weakness in sterling has sparked speculation that the currency could hit an even footing with the US dollar.

Paul Grainger, head of global fixed income and currency at Schroders, said: “The loss of confidence and unfunded nature of the [fiscal] plan have caused sterling to sell off significantly. Many market commentators are calling for it to go to parity, or lower, against the US dollar.”

Mansoor Mohi-uddin, chief economist at Bank of Singapore, said that the “bigger worry is that the underlying fundamentals haven’t changed”, adding that if the government sticks to its plan, the Bank of England will be forced to undertake a large rate increase in November. “Otherwise we’ll start seeing more turbulence for sterling.”

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2022-09-30 15:40:05Z
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Suspected remains linked to Moors murders being investigated by police - Sky News

Suspected human remains have been found in the search for the final victim of the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.

The remains were found by an author who had been researching the murder of Keith Bennett, a 12-year-old boy who went missing in 1964 and whose body has never been found.

His findings were reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), which confirmed it was investigating.

Martin Bottomley, its review officer, said the author had "discovered what he believes are potential human remains in a remote location on the Moors".

He met with officers on Thursday afternoon to take them to the site of interest, which was assessed that night.

"This morning, specialist officers have begun initial exploration activity," Mr Bottomley said.

"It is far too early to be certain whether human remains have been discovered and this is expected to take some time."

Keith's surviving brother has been told about the investigation, the force said.

It could be a major breakthrough in a case that has been open since the early 1960s.

The final, undiscovered, victim

Brady and his accomplice Hindley sexually assaulted, tortured and murdered five children over two years in the 1960s.

She died in prison in 2002 and he in 2017.

The bodies of four of their victims were found buried on Saddleworth Moor in the south Pennines, but Keith's remains have never been found.

He was taken on 16 June 1964 after going to visit his grandmother.

Brady and Hindley's other victims were Pauline Reade, 16, who disappeared on her way to a disco on 12 July 1963; John Kilbride, 12, who was snatched in November the same year; Lesley Ann Downey, 10, who was lured away from a funfair on Boxing Day 1964; and Edward Evans, 17, who was axed to death in October 1965.

Brady confessed to Keith's murder, but claimed he could not remember where he was buried.

He died at Ashworth High-Security Hospital in Merseyside, where he had been imprisoned since 1985.

48 years fighting for justice

Keith's mother, Winnie Johnson, spent her life tirelessly fighting for justice and the right to give her son a Christian burial.

The former hospital worker and mother of nine died of bowel cancer in 2012 without knowing what had happened to him.

Mrs Johnson, who was a single mother, made a final plea to Brady in the weeks before her death to tell her where her son's body was.

Speaking after her death, her friend Pam Ayres said: "She never gave up, I expect to her dying breath she wouldn't have given up. Certainly, with every bit of her spirit and her will, she wouldn't rescind that power to those people who took him."

John Ainley, the lawyer for Keith's brother, Alan, said he had spoken to him about the development.

"My client is keeping an open mind on the latest report having regard to earlier such reports that have raised expectations but not resulted in finding Keith's body.

"Naturally, the family are hoping that Keith has been found after all these years and their tireless efforts to find closure.

"I understand Greater Manchester Police are investigating a site of interest but that it will take some weeks to establish whether there is a connection with Keith."

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2022-09-30 14:37:30Z
1587394893

Moors Murders: Search for Keith Bennett's body restarts - BBC

The search for the body of one of the Moors murderers' victims has restarted after "potential human remains" were found on moorland, police have said.

Keith Bennett, 12, was one of five children tortured and killed by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in the 1960s, but his body has never been recovered.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it had received information about a "site of interest" on Saddleworth Moor.

Keith's brother had been told about the "potential development", it added.

Keith disappeared on 16 June 1964 while on his way to his grandmother's house, who lived close to his home in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester.

Police searched Saddleworth Moor in 1986 following reports Hindley and Brady had confessed to his murder.

'Initial exploration'

His mother Winnie Johnson, who died in 2012, spent her life trying to locate her son, even taking to the moor herself, armed with a spade.

A plaque in her and Keith's memory was placed on the moor, with the inscription: "To Winnie and Keith. May you both RIP. Keith will come home."

GMP's Force Review Officer Martin Bottomley said police had been contacted on Thursday by the representative of an author who has been researching the murders.

He said after "direct contact with the author, we were informed that he had discovered what he believes are potential human remains in a remote location on the moors".

Plaque for Winnie Johnson and Keith Bennett

Mr Bottomley said the author had agreed to meet officers "to elaborate on his find and direct us to a site of interest".

He said after a site assessment, specialist officers had "begun initial exploration activity".

"We are in the very early stages of assessing the information which has been brought to our attention, but have made the decision to act on it in line with a normal response to a report of this kind," he said.

"It is far too early to be certain whether human remains have been discovered and this is expected to take some time."

Brady, who was born in Glasgow but later moved to Manchester, was jailed in 1966 for the murders of John Kilbride, aged 12, Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and Edward Evans, 17.

In 1985, he also admitted to murdering Keith and 16-year-old Pauline Reade.

The children had been abducted by Brady and his lover Hindley, who died in prison in 2002, between 1963 and 1965.

Brady, who died in 2017, never revealed where Keith's body was buried.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

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2022-09-30 12:55:30Z
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