Here’s the fun part: RMTs are often on-call 24/7. That means they can be woken up at 3 a.m. to fix a balky ventilator. One RMT described being called in on a birthday party to fix a broken autoclave. The birthday cake? Still uneaten.
Another union member counted 92 hours of work in a single week. That’s like watching the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy eight times in a row. With coffee.
They’re not just sleepy—they’re dangerous when exhausted. A tired RMT might miswire a defibrillator. Oops. That’s why they demanded a maximum of 12-hour shifts, with real breaks.
Strikes Are Weirdly Theatrical
The June strikes had a secret weapon: humor. One picket sign read, “We Fix the Beepy Things, So You Don’t Die.” Another said, “Your MRI Isn’t a Nap Pod—Let Us Sleep.”
They also had a choreographed dance to “Working 9 to 5.” In full uniform. One reporter called it “the most wholesome protest ever.”
Train strikes: Full list of October 2026 dates and rail lines affected
They even offered free “stethoscope tune-ups” to passing nurses. That’s right—they protested with free labor. The irony is delicious.
