every single day that those workers have been on strike, they ve lost pay. so they don t want to do this. they want to find a resolution. for many businesses, especially cafes, restaurants and theatres, the timing of the latest strikes couldn t be worse. this is our busiest trading week before christmas. it s the main week for christmas parties, for people coming into the office for the last time before term ends at schools and people breakfor christmas holidays. it s also when people come in to to go to shopping. so it hits the last big weekend for shopping before christmas when people also eat and drink out. but here in birmingham today, travellers seem to be taking the news in their stride. i booked coaches for most of the christmas period. it does put you off travelling, but again, i understand why they re doing it. there s strikes going on. i work in a hospital so there s strikes everywhere at the moment. if they have to strike they have to strike. i you know, i know a lot of them
there is no sign of it at the moment and i think it is inevitable we will see disruption starting next week. there are two disputes going on here, one between the rmt union and the train operating companies over pay and proposed changes to working practice and a separate dispute between network rail and the rmt over similar issues. this means we have had it confirmed that the strike next week starting on tuesday will go a i head. an extra strike affecting network rail strike will largely affect engineering work. a lot of planned engineering works tends to go ahead during christmas, but it could disrupt services as well. today mick lynch of the rmt has been out and about explaining to people why this is going to happen. picket lines outside stations, they ll be back again next week.
the government should be trying harder to resolve the dispute. i think that there is a deal to be done. every single day that those workers have been on strike, they ve lost pay. so they don t want to do this. they want to find a resolution. for many businesses, especially cafes, restaurants and theatres, the timing of the latest strikes couldn t be worse. this is our busiest trading week before christmas. . it s the main week for christmas parties, for people coming - into the office for the last time before term ends at schools i and people break for christmas holidays. i it s also when people come in to to go to shopping. - so it hits the last big weekend for shopping before christmasj when people also eat and drink out. but here in birmingham today, travellers seem to be taking the news in their stride. i booked coaches for most of the christmas period. it does put you off travelling, but again, i understand why they re doing it. there s strikes going on. i work in a hospital so th