Britain appears poised to see the country’s biggest rail strike for decades, as unions and train companies take one last stab at last minute talks to avert the crisis.

Due to complaints over soaring inflation and increasingly insecure careers, up to 40,000 cleaners, signalers, maintenance workers, and station staff will walk off the job for three days this week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Combined with a London Underground walkout on Tuesday, it is expected the strike will shut down rail service across the country.

Britain is presently wracked by inflation, causing millions to see their cost of living skyrocketing, as their salaries remain the same. Inflation has hit 9%, and is forecasted to rise to 11% by the fall. Meanwhile due to after-effects of the pandemic, passenger numbers are below normal, and train companies are actively looking to cut staff and reduce costs.

Unions are calling on the government to intervene as talks have stalled. Unions complain the government, which owns the train operator Network Rail, has not allowed the operator enough flexibility to offer the pay raises they require.

Treasury minister Simon Clarke has said “this is a matter between the employers – the train operating companies and Network Rail – and the trade unions,” and that while workers require, “a sensible pay increase,” if it is too large, it will only exacerbate inflationary pressures.

Rail, Maritime and Transport Union General Secretary Mick Lynch said there will be more strikes in more sectors as time goes on. He said, “I think there are going to be many unions that are balloting across the country because people can´t take it anymore. We´ve got people doing full-time jobs who are having to take state benefits and use food banks. That is a national disgrace.”