Glasgow public speak out about Network Rail strikes

We took to the streets of Glasgow to find out what people thought of the Network Rail protests.

Kenneth Benjamin, 71, said: "I understand the employees that are on strike - they want a raise in their wages and that’s understandable, but how they never came to an agreement is because the management want to cut about 1000 jobs."

Kenneth Benjamin

Tourists A.S. Turna, Sukhvinder and Navjot Kaur spoke about the level of disruption the strikes caused on their journey from Scotland to London.

Sukhvinder stated: "After booking we came to know about the strikes, but somehow we [were] able to manage.

"It has affected us a little bit, we have had to make some arrangements."

The trio then went on to state that luckily, the strikes didn’t "affect them that much coming to the city".

A.S. Turna, Sukhvinder and Navjot Kaur

Brothers Gerard, 21, and Connor Harvey, 23, detailed their annoyance towards the disruption.

The two, who were visiting from Ayrshire, stated: "We can’t even get a train home."

Gerard added: "My mum’s coming to get us, but she has to do a 50-minute drive up to get us."

When asked about their opinion towards the striking action, the two had similarly negative feelings.

Gerard said: "I don’t agree with them at all."

Gerard Harvey
Erica Mason, 17, who was in town for college, had a fairly positive experience on today’s strikes.

She said: "It hasn’t affected me much, no."

When asked about her opinion, the youth gave an equally positive comment.

She said: "Everybody is entitled to ask for what they’re wanting, so, I don’t see anything wrong with what they’re doing."

Erica Mason

Ken Whitson, 70, who was at Central Station awaiting a taxi, stated: "We’ve been okay because we’ve not been using the trains.

"We had a taxi bring us here and then another taxi is going to pick us up and take us, so we’re not impacted but it is sad.

"It’s a sad situation for everybody here. It’s sad for the general public."

Ken Whitson

Joy Collins, who was meeting friends for lunch, also talked on the strikes.

She said: "I looked up the internet to find out if there were any trains running from my area.

"I usually just drive into the station in my area, in Bishopton, and leave the car there and drive in, but they’re not guaranteed they’re going to stop for you."

When asked if this was disruptive for her, Ms Collins stated that it was not as such for her, but that her daughter had struggled with disruptions.

Joy Collins

She said: "My daughter had warned me because she was away at Livingston at the weekend, and she said that a few trains had gone past her and she had to wait about two hours to get a train back to Glasgow."

She added: "I think they’re [the strikers] fighting for everybody; I don’t think they’re just fighting for themselves.

"My daughter’s a nurse and she doesn’t get paid enough in the job that she’s doing and my husband’s an ex-serviceman and they don’t get paid enough for what they’re doing. This is just the start, I think."