As the fourth one-day tube strike gets underway (it began at 18.29 today and is due to finish tomorrow), commuters face more havoc and trouble getting around.
The root cause of the constant strikes is a disagreement between London Underground management and the two unions representing their staff.
The unions are taking action over plans to axe 800 jobs and other cuts which will compromise safety on London Underground.
Aside from the frustration and chaos that erupts from the recurrent strikes, have you ever considered the other side of the story?
It may seem unjustified that these 800 or so people can disrupt the journeys of millions of people in the short term, but what will happen in the long term, once many of these staff have lost their jobs?
There are so many undesirable scenarios which could arise.
For example, without these staff, tube stations may be left unattended and therefore may not be as secure, making it unsafe to travel at late hours.
The in-the-wall ticket machines could fail at any time, i.e. refuse to give customers the correct change, or stop working altogether, yet there may not be a member of staff behind a counter at the station to assist them.
Also, foreign visitors, or those who are less familiar with the tube, may not be able to ask for advice on their journey routes or voice any queries about their tickets to a member of staff before they begin their journey.
In my opinion, the tube staff are striking not only to keep their jobs but also to keep the London Underground secure, and to ensure that commuters feel safe and comfortable, and we shouldn’t forget that.
Furthermore, seeing as ticket and Oyster fares are rising, and are due to rise even further, surely commuters deserve that assurance?
/// The Curious Londoner 