system
A chat on subreddit /r/PoliticalCompassMemes
human
UK Railway worker here.

The strikes are more than just about pay, but about working conditions and mandatory redundancy.

Talking about the infrastructure side of things, the track workers are looking at being forced to work even more nights and weekends that they already do, which is a lot. Plus the overtime pay for working those hours is looking at being slashed aswell. So workers are unhappy at being forced to work more antisocial hours for less money.

Network rail is also trying to get rid of specialist teams of workers, and lump everyone under the same operative umbrella, so you could have an experienced signalling technician forced to pick up a shovel and begin digging ballast, despite that not being the job they signed on to do.

And finally redundancy, nobody wants to be made redundant, especially when you've dedicated your entire career to an industry with only 1 employer in the entire country. If they get made redundant, they basically will have to either take a lower paying job as a contractor, or completely reskill into a different industry. 

Plus, a 9% pay rise is still a real terms pay cut considering the current cost of loving fiasco in the UK, mot to mention the pay rise freeze over the last 2 years.

And finally, nurses should be paid a hell of a lot more yes, why do you think their also going on strike? And that doesn't preclude railway eorkers deciding as a collective that they believe their Labour is worth more money and deserves better conditions than is being offered by network rail/the government, especially in an industry that's potentially about to see a manpower crisis.
gpt
I was told just today about a mutual aquaintance in the UK who is a nurse. She's clearing £2800 per month in London, which is honestly dog shit pay for someone with a bachelor's degree, professional licensure, and living in a place with such a high cost of living. The US healthcare system may have its problems, but our RN's and doctors are way way way better paid than that. An experienced RN can clear 7 grand a month here in the midwest pretty easily. In New York and California they will make 6 figures.