British workers across sectors walk out at start of festive holiday week

Christmas week in Britain got off to an unseasonably rocky start Monday with thousands of workers on strike and more walk-outs planned for later this week.

It's being described as the Christmas of Discontent, with services for hundreds of thousands of London-bound commuters on Southern Railway facing more disruption which train conductors starting two days of industrial action.

It follows a series of strikes over three days last week affecting 300,000 commuters a day having to find alternative ways of reaching their jobs in London.

Staff at several main post offices walked-out in what is one of the busiest weeks of the year for the postal service, and there is a planned walkout by British Airways cabin crew unless urgent conciliation talks avert a strike.

Workers main post offices across the country are protesting against pension changes, job security and closures.

British Airways cabin crew who are members of Unite, Britain's biggest trade union, are due to strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in a row over pay.

The airline says it has detailed contingency plans that will allow it to run a full schedule even if the cabin crew strike does go ahead.

Unite members employed by the airport baggage handling company Swissport at 18 airports across Britain are scheduled to go on strike Friday and Saturday over pay, unless last-minute peace talks succeed.

Member of Parliament Chris Philp on Monday called for for new laws to be brought in to clamp down on strikes affecting people employed in transport, such as trains and air travel.

He wants cases involving critical public infrastructure, such as the railways, to be presented to a High Court judge to decide whether industrial action by workers is "reasonable and proportionate." Enditem