Where did the UK strike start?

The 2022 United Kingdom rail strikes are a series of industrial actions taken by members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) in the United Kingdom. The strikes began on 21 June and have continued intermittently since then, with further strikes planned for September and October.

The strikes were called in response to a dispute between the RMT and TSSA and Network Rail, the state-owned company responsible for the country's rail infrastructure, over pay, job cuts and working conditions. The RMT and TSSA have accused Network Rail of trying to impose changes that would lead to a worsening of terms and conditions for their members, while Network Rail has said that the changes are necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the railway.

The strikes have caused significant disruption to rail services across the UK, with many trains cancelled or delayed. The strikes have also had a knock-on effect on other sectors of the economy, such as tourism and hospitality.

The UK government has expressed its support for Network Rail, and has called on the RMT and TSSA to call off the strikes. The unions have refused to do so, and have said that they will continue to strike until their demands are met.

The strikes are the latest in a series of disputes between the UK government and the rail unions. In 2020, the government tried to introduce changes to the rail industry that would have led to job cuts and a worsening of terms and conditions for workers. The unions opposed the changes, and a series of strikes were called off at the last minute after the government agreed to make concessions.