LONDON: Millions of commuters face travel chaos this week as London Underground prepares for a two-day rail strike over planned job cuts and the closure of ticket offices.
The world’s oldest and largest underground rail network, which carries three million passengers a day, was to be all but shut down from last evening through to tomorrow evening, with only very limited services running, leaving many Londoners unable to get to work and straining the bus network.
The two leading rail unions, the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), called the strike to protest against plans to close ticket offices and cut nearly 1,000 jobs.
TfL, which runs the underground network, says the planned closures would save nearly 50 million pounds a year.
Another 48-hour strike is planned for the following week, from February 11 to 14.
Tfl said it would try to keep as many stations open as possible, although the disruption was likely to force many employees to work from home.
The prospect of travel chaos dismayed many passengers yesterday.
FDA to launch
anti-tobacco drive aimed at youth
WASHINGTON: A major new anti-tobacco campaign will be launched in the United States next week aimed at vulnerable teenagers at risk of becoming addicted to cigarettes.
The $115m campaign, to be overseen by the Food and Drug Administration, will target the 10 million young people aged 12 to 17 who are open to trying cigarettes or who are already experimenting with them and are in danger of becoming regular smokers, the FDA said. There were about 25 million children in that age group in 2012, according to US Census Bureau data.
The campaign is the first of several scheduled to be launched over the next two years. The others will be directed at rural, gay, African American, and American Indian youth.
The campaigns are expected to cost $400m altogether. They are being funded with fees paid to the FDA by the tobacco industry under a 2009 law that gives the FDA authority to regulate cigarettes, cigarette tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco.
Agencies
