There's one method they could try, has been suggested on here but the railway unions will never sanction. Open the gates, not man the ticket offices and drive the trains on the Bank Holiday. Imagine that for the struggling families we currently have - a day out with nothing to pay for transport. Those who have to work, as someone said, wouldn't be any better off as they have season tickets but those who had the day off would love the train drivers! The railway companies would hate it and would probably put managers etc on the barriers and ticket offices. Who would the public hate then? The rail companies. Who would they have sympathy with? The good old train drivers 'who deserve every penny because, instead of making our lives difficult for the day, tried to show how good our rail network is, why they are important and tried to give us, also hard working people, a cheap day out'.
That's just one suggestion - not saying it's ideal but many (not all, I know that) of the general public are getting sick of taking the brunt every time someone wants a pay rise or better conditions. I'm not saying they do or don't deserve what they are asking for. All I am saying is people are struggling, many on zero hour contracts (which are wrong) and to add to their struggles by striking if you operate the trains is wrong.
I know it's bank holiday, it would have affected fewer people work-wise but that date was chosen to effect the kids holidays. The next one will be mid week and effect many more people.
And it's not just work, which is a 'minor' inconvenience apparently. My DS has a congenital heart condition. He goes for an annual check up to a major kids hospital. We have to travel by train as it is hard to park, if not impossible, where we travel to. Usually the train is no problem. But if there's a train strike his appointment is effected, not by a day (the department is usually backed up with appointments). If I have had to try to change it because of conflicting appointments (my mum has alzheimers so I have to take her for treatments too) I'm usually looking at a 2-3 month wait. This isn't an inconvenience. This is his life, because if the valve in his heart is failing we have no indication other than that heart check that something is wrong. If it fails he dies if we aren't quick off the mark.
For that reason we never cancel - never. And before you say that is a one in a million chance of a strike happening on his appointment day - I know that. But it is an example of something that is more than a mere 'inconvenience'. There will be people who need to go for hospital appointments when the next strike is on. For them it is not an 'inconvenience'. It is treatment, diagnosis, stress, extra waiting time or possibly worse with a diagnosis that takes too long for the sake of one day. I know that's emotive but your 'inconvenience' sneer Margo is insulting.
The trains are not just used by workers every day. That seems to get forgotten by the unions who never use imagination to solve the problem. It's 'down tools and shrug off criticism'. Because it's only one day right? Well no, actually, in my DS's case it's another 2-3 month wait and he is one of the lucky ones.
I don't work for the railways. I do know my old type of work though and I know how I could have caused least problems for my customers whilst hitting the pockets of my bosses. I would think a few intelligent rail workers could come up with another suggestion or two to hit the right people.
The Clyde shipworkers did a work in in the 70s (see, going back even further, what am I like? Oh well...), didn't put other workers jobs in jeopardy by striking, saved their jobs for a while by proving they were needed and did vital work (they were, if I remember rightly, having their shipyard closed and kept it open for another 5 years or so instead of closing that year). That takes imagination and it takes guts. Sadly lacking today.