Four out of five trains will be canceled today as rail workers begin the second of five-day walkouts

Millions are once again forced to stay at home today, leaving cities and towns deserted in another appalling day of disruption as railroad workers continue their 48-hour strike.

About half of Britain’s railway lines are closed and just a fifth of services are operational as tens of thousands of workers at Network Rail and train operators move out for the second day of strikes.

Despite being a strike-free day, disruptions will still be felt on Thursday, but any respite will be short-lived as another 48-hour strike is set to take place on Friday, which will force most people in the country to do so to work from home this week.

Mick Lynch, Secretary General of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT), joins the picket line outside London’s Euston train station yesterday morning

Passengers walk down the platforms to board the restricted services as railway workers continue their strike yesterday

Meanwhile, DVSA driving examiners strike in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West, while traffic officials’ service staff on the National Highways continue their strike.

Industrial action by staff at Britain’s National Highways and Rural Payments Agency continues.

And Abellio’s London bus workers will also begin a two-day strike – the first in a series of actions planned by the group throughout January.

It came as the TUC’s new general secretary called for an urgent meeting with the prime minister to end the deadlocked labor disputes sweeping the country.

Paul Nowak called for a change in government direction and said ministers should open wage negotiations with unions.

21,000 Aslef workers will go on a mass strike tomorrow on what is being dubbed “Tragic Thursday” – with less than 10 percent of the train service

Strikes caused almost 75 percent of trains to be canceled yesterday, when the majority of people returned to work after the holiday period

A glimpse of a billboard announcing a strike and showing available travel times is seen as railway workers continue their strike over pay, jobs, safety and working conditions in London

In a letter to Rishi Sunak, Mr Nowak said public services were in crisis after years of “underfunding and understaffing”.

He wrote: “We cannot solve these problems without a fair deal for the people on the front lines.

“Each month, experienced workers are resigning, and one in three government workers is now taking steps to, or actively considering, leaving their job.

“It’s just unbearable.

“But we cannot fix the staffing crisis in our schools, hospitals and elsewhere unless we address the underlying causes.

“That means speaking openly and constructively about improving salaries in the public sector. But so far your ministers have refused to negotiate wages directly with the unions.’

Mr Nowak said unions had worked closely with Mr Sunak during the pandemic to implement the furlough scheme and protect millions of jobs, adding:

“That’s the kind of mature approach we need now.

“Unions have already expressed their willingness to sit down with the government and discuss wage increases. But while your ministers continue to flatly refuse to talk about improving wages, there can be no solution.

“Within the NHS, for example, the appropriate structures are already in place to allow collective bargaining to start immediately, involving healthcare unions, employers and ministers. This is exactly what happened in 2018 and led to the three-year collective agreement.

“We want to find a solution to the current disputes so that our public employees can continue with the work they love. And so our public services can improve for all who rely on them.”