Strike!

I don't normally comment on stuff like this (mainly because I don't understand it too well!) but I read today that London Underground staff would be starting a 48 hour strike at 18.59 today.

According to the source I read (ok, it was the BBC website) the RMT were offered the following pay rise - "...a four-year deal of 1.5% this year and then the inflation rate plus 0.5%; or a two-year deal of 1% now and inflation plus 0.5% in year two." However, the RMT wanted "...a 5% pay rise and a promise of no compulsory redundancies."

Now it seems to me that the RMT is being unreasonably demanding, considering the state of the financial world right now, where a lot of people are lucky to even have jobs, let alone be in the position to try and force a pay rise. The figures quoted as being offered seem reasonable in this current climate, which again will be more than a lot of people will get. But that's not enough the for RMT. Oh no! (I will just say that I don't know all the ins and outs of this story, so maybe there is more money available than what's being offered, and that's why the RMT is demanding more...I'm unsure).
Anyway, because they are not getting what they want, they go on strike, affecting thousands of Londoners who are only trying to get to work to earn money to keep their families in food, and heat, and housing. I know I've posted about this sort of thing before, but I read this story and wanted to make the point again - Do the RMT imagine that those people who will be truely hit by this strike will be sympathetic to their cause? If I were still working in London, I know I wouldn't be. I would be cursing those people who have gone on strike. I'd imagine the RMT are doing this to force TfL (Transport for London) to bow to their demands, by forcing the public to complain to them and say things like "Ya boo sucks give them their money" or something. But I know personally, I wouldn't complain to TfL, I'd bitch to the people who have made the decision to go on strike, because THEY are the one's doing the damage.

However, seeing as I work 10 minutes from home and drive to work, this won't really affect me anyway. But it would have done a few years ago!

Update: Here's more information from the BBC. Not just thousands, but millions could be affected, and could cost the London economy £100m! Great news in this current climate, eh?