'Train strikes mean I won't see my son over Christmas'

Owen volition nary longer beryllium capable to spot his lad implicit the festive play owed to the Christmas obstruction idiosyncratic strikes.

The 34-year-old from Doncaster was readying to question to spot his 12-year-old lad who lives with his parent successful Derby connected 27 December, but volition not marque it due to the fact that of the walkouts.

He is 1 of the thousands of radical whose festive plans person been deed by the concern action, which is simply a effect of the enactment implicit wage and conditions coming to a head.

Having supported strikes earlier successful the year, Owen says he's present against them owed to the festive strikes "ruining" his Christmas.

"I person ever been a staunch socialist...but it's been a twelvemonth now," helium says. "Enough is enough."

He admits to feeling "really conflicted" implicit the strikes and is alert of the interaction of "people having their jobs threatened", arsenic helium lives successful a erstwhile mining village.

But similar galore regular bid passengers, Owen has been deed by cancellations and disruption connected his commute to enactment successful caller months, which helium says destroyed the sympathy helium erstwhile had for the strikers.

He explains erstwhile strikes person meant helium had to cancel plans with his son, who has autism, connected 4 oregon 5 occasions, and has present resigned himself to the information that he's not apt to spot him present until the mediate of January.

"I volition telephone him and person a chat [and say] I'm truly sorry," helium says.

Some 40,000 workers that are members of the UK's biggest obstruction union, the RMT, volition locomotion retired successful bid of strikes crossed across 4 48-hour periods - connected 13-14 December, 16-17 December, 3-4 January and 6-7 January. Disruption is apt connected the days astir the strikes arsenic well.

A conception of obstruction workers who are employed by Network Rail, volition besides down tools from 18:00 GMT connected 24 December until 27 December.

Amelie, who is simply a pupil astatine Exeter University, says she has had to alteration her bid tickets 4 times owed to the strikes.

The 19-year-old had planned to question to her household location adjacent Middlesbrough connected 16 December, but is present making the travel a week earlier connected Friday to debar immoderate further disruption.

"I'm missing a afloat week of teaching - it's not large for my degree," says the theology and religion student, who highlights that her studies person already been hit by the assemblage strikes.

The 2nd twelvemonth pupil says she's mislaid betwixt £50 and £60 done having to rebook trains and fears she volition person to rearrange her instrumentality bid travel owed to much strikes planned successful aboriginal January.

She says she tin recognize the reasons for striking, but adds: "We are each successful the aforesaid cost-of-living crisis.

"It's an unfair woody for everyone really. I'm each for making a stance and justness but not erstwhile it's affecting each azygous radical of radical - taking retired acquisition which is truthful vital."

It is not conscionable passengers' festive plans that volition beryllium deed by the concern action, but besides businesses, peculiarly retailers and hospitality venues, successful the run-up to the large day.

Having suffered for the past 2 Christmases owed to Covid restrictions, galore were hoping for a bumper year, but that mightiness not beryllium imaginable present owed to the disruption.

Abhilash, a co-founder of Chai Guys, which brews and sells authentic Indian chai beverage successful Old Spitalfields Market and Covent Garden successful London, says the erstwhile obstruction strikes person resulted successful footfall astatine his stores dropping by 15-20%.

He and his concern spouse Gabriel started the institution successful 2019 and managed to past the pandemic by selling chai brewing kits online.

The 27-year-old says that portion the obstruction strikes are "inconvenient" for radical visiting London and buying chai, helium conscionable hopes the quality betwixt the unions and bid companies volition beryllium resolved.

"For maine I recognize the strikes, I recognize the wide sentiment successful the state close present with however they feel," Abhilash says.

He explains however astatine this clip of twelvemonth businesses similar his spot a spike successful footfall with radical travelling to London to store and spot theatre shows.

But helium says the strikes are discouraging radical from going into the capital, which is hitting retailers' profits.

However, having launched the concern successful 2019 and being forced to adjacent during Covid lockdowns, Abhilash says helium and Gabriel are utilized to being agile and volition "do immoderate we tin to support our business".

The RMT has staged a bid of strikes since the summertime which person origin wide disruption.

RMT wide caput Mick Lynch has said helium regrets the inconvenience caused but argues the authorities is yet to blame.

The national is calling for a colony which offers "long-term occupation security, a decent wage emergence and protecting moving conditions".

It has rejected a wage connection from bid operators and plans to clasp a referendum for members implicit a 2nd woody from Network Rail, which it has urged them not to back.

Tim Shoveller, Network Rail's main negotiator, has accused the national of "using the British nationalist and Network Rail workers arsenic pawns successful a combat with the government".

Additional reporting from the BBC's UGC team.