World News for Students of English

28-06-2022 07:00

Last week on Tuesday, UK train services came to a near standstill after workers started the country’s biggest rail strike after more than three decades.

Only about 20% of national rail services were running, and Scotland and Wales were among the hardest hit.

Millions of passengers faced days of chaos as the government rejected a proposal from union leaders and 13 train operating companies. Nearly 40,000 staff began the walkout after midnight.

Employees weren’t at work during the negotiations, and they even planned other strikes on Thursday and Sunday. A separate strike by 10,000 London Underground staff almost closed the services within the capital.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to help Britons; they face the toughest economic situation in decades. He said the strike would harm businesses still in recovery from the pandemic.

Difficult words: standstill (a situation with no movement or activity), union (a worker organization to represent their rights and interests), walkout (a time to stop work because of a disagreement with managers).

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