With the long-running dispute over pay, conditions and job security showing no sign of a breakthrough, staff at 14 train operators took RMT industrial action yesterday, after the train drivers’ union Aslef staged strikes on Friday.
Among the millions affected were those planning to attend the summer gathering of the Style for Soldiers charity, organised by King Charles’ shirtmaker, which hosts the UK’s largest reunions for injured service personnel and their families.
Ben Roberts, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Royal Anglian Regiment, described the events as a “safety net” that have helped him “immensely”, having been diagnosed with PTSD in 2010.
“When veterans come together, we’re all safe around each other because we all know what we’ve gone through,” the 42-year-old told The Independent. “Many other veterans have PTSD and they were blown up, lost limbs and so forth, and when we come together there’s no one judging us. We’re all in the same boat.”
But with trains “very few and far between” yesterday, Mr Roberts did not know whether he and many others could get to the Gloucester event, and warned that the mental blow of missing it could put some into a downward spiral.
This story is from the May 14, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the May 14, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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