Are we approaching the spring of discontent?
Rail Union leaders have confirmed that their members will bring the rail network to its knees after the Easter bank holiday weekend with four days of stoppages beginning on Tuesday. Union chiefs have been vocal in their belief that they will "close down" the rail network as a number of rush hour walkouts have been planned. Just weeks before an expected UK election this is the last thing which Gordon Brown and the Labour Party needs.
Even though the union has confirmed that the post-Easter dates were chosen so as not to take in the Easter weekend and cause maximum disruption, it is believed that three out of four trains in the UK will be affected. This is just the latest in a long line of industrial action planned in the weeks and months ahead. The British Airways strike has been grabbing the headlines of late and we even saw the Chancellor and the Prime Minister having to cross a picket line outside Westminster prior to the budget earlier this week.
The last few days have seen the Conservative Party lead over Labour reduced significantly in the polls but many believe prolonged industrial action will cause immeasurable damage to the Labour party movement. Could this bout of industrial action cost the government the chance of being re-elected or at the very least of playing a prominent role in a hung Parliament?
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