National Rail Strike Travel Chaos

Britain is steeling itself for the first National Rail Strike in 16 years as pundits predict a heavy 'Yes' vote when the RMT strike ballot result is announced on Thursday.

Any such strike will see travel chaos over the coming Easter holiday period not only for rail travelers but road users too as train passengers switch to car and coach.

The strike, claim union leaders, is not about pay but more about working practices which workers feel put the safety of passengers at risk.

Leader of the RMT Union, BOB CROW, said:

"No matter how they try to spin it, the maintenance cuts and the changes to safety practices involving signallers will leave the senior management at Network Rail with blood on their hands in the event of another Hatfield or Potters Bar"

This said the fact that the RMT want to make train drivers and crew work on Sundays without extra pay and the threat of 1,500 redundancies built into Network Rail forward plans are also factors in any strike vote.

Network Rail say that any strike will only cause minimum disruption but many will already be looking to find alternative transport or just stay at home over the bank holiday period.

traveling first class
missing the second class
conversation

Paul Conneally

Further Coverage at NowPublic national rail Strike Planned

Spanish Eyes On UK Banks As Santander Look to Buy RBS Branches

Santander are looking to take over 320 Royal Bank of Scotland branches in England.

The huge Spanish company has already taken over the Aliance and Leicester, Abbey and Bradford and Bingley now looks set to move in and aquire the ailing RBS network of what was Williams & Glyn's.

The RBS is currently propped up with emergency funding from the Bank of England and any buyer would have to repay this within 3 weeks of any deal.

Santander are not going to get RBS branches without a fight as Virgin says that it is still in the race to buy as are Santander's Spanish rivals BBVA.

One can almost hear the old Al Martino song Spanish Eyes is probably playing through the minds of British bankers as the great UK banking sell off continues.

Easter egg windows
the bank teller's perfume
in my pocket

Paul Conneally