A WEEK ago, it seemed as if Merseyside had ground to a halt. The closure of the tunnels, the reliability of which has been a mainstay of commerce between Liverpool and Wirral, struck a particular note for many of the 80,000 commuters a day who use them. For many, it was a step too far.
But those on strike remained defiant in their anger at what they see as being singled out for changes to their pension compared to other public sector workers.
The tunnels shut at 11.30pm last Monday, March 27, until 12.30am the following Wednesday, many schools were closed, and with the exception of emergency responses council services across the region largely stopped.
But it was the 12 control room engineers who look after ventilation and air quality, lighting, pumping and electricity in the Kingsway and Queensway tunnels which put the strike at the top of the agenda for most people.
Merseytravel's chief executive, Neil Scales, was heavily criticised not just for taking part in the industrial action but for letting the tunnels be closed.
However, Mr Scales said the closure was for safety reasons and whether he joined the strike or not the Mersey tunnels would have been shut when the engineers announced they were joining the industrial action.
With the local economy nursing a bill estimated at £10m for just one day, the Daily Post today asks: Should strikers leave the tunnels alone?
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