Tube Strike

"Woke up this morning, what did I see
A big black cloud hanging over me
I switched on the radio and nearly dropped dead
The news was so bad that I fell out of bed
There was a gas strike, oil strike, lorry strike, bread strike
Got to be a Superman to survive
Gas bills, rent bills, tax bills, phone bills
I'm such a wreck but I'm staying alive"
- The Kinks

I got my first taste of industrial action today when the union for Metronet, one of the companies that maintains the London Underground, went on strike. In actual fact, I wasn't really affected. I used the dire predictions of thousands left stranded in various parts of the city and having to subsist on day old curry and bits of rat as an excuse to slag off work early.

The strike is set to last 72 hours, with another 72 hour strike scheduled for Monday. While inconvenient, it's certainly not the end of the world. I'm fortunate enough to be able to work from home if I need to. The odd thing, though, is that neither I nor anyone I talk to seems to have the foggiest idea what the strike is about. Unlike in the States, when a strike is used to call attention to something the union wants, and where the striking union is highly verbose, if not entirely articulate, in its explanation of matters, this strike is entirely different. The union isn't saying anything. Not one word has been published about why there's a strike, what the union's hoping to accomplish, and what demands need to be met to avoid next week's strike. It appears that the union is simply striking because it can. Or because they really, really enjoy inconveniencing people.

If anyone can offer an alternative explanation, I'm all ears.