It's rush hour at one of the country's busiest railway stations. A flurry of commuters walk past the row of cafes and shops at Piccadilly Station Approach and head for the office.
It doesn't last very long though. Just dozens make their way from the station into town, rather than the hundreds that you would expect to pour out of the station at 9am.
Inside, a handful of travellers wait to leave the city, with just seven services listed on the departures board. It's the now familiar scene of a strike day at Manchester Piccadilly.
Around a fifth of rail services were expected to run nationwide today (January 3) as the latest 48-hour walkout began for members of the RMT rail workers' union, before another strike on Friday and Saturday. The long-running dispute has been ongoing for eight months, stretching into a new calendar year today.
Outside, on the corner with Ducie Street, workers gathered for the picket line. There's a bitter chill in the January air, but there's hope among the RMT members.
"I'm a huge activist," said Claudia McCann, who brought her six-year-old son Freddie to the picket. "So for me it's a no-brainer. I'll take as many pay cuts, as many days unpaid, whatever. I'll see this through to the bitter end personally."
RMT members have three demands - a 'reasonable' pay rise in the face of a cost of living crisis, job security, and 'no detrimental changes' to their terms and conditions. Before Christmas, the union voted to reject an offer from Network Rail of a 5% pay rise followed by a 4% increase in the following year - with 63.6% of members voting it down on an 83% turnout.
According to the RMT, the deal would have led to thousands of job losses, a 50% cut in scheduled maintenance tasks and a 30% increase in unsocial hours. The union is also in dispute with 14 train operating companies - including Northern, TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast.
On Manchester's picket line, spirits are high among workers looking to support one another, but Claudia admits it's not an easy situation. "We drum up as best we can at work to keep the momentum," she said.
"And it needs to be a momentum, that's the whole point. A day here and a day there wasn't really fulfilling anything. The more you do the pickets and the larger it is, the more you feel that vibe, and it does work.
"It works for our morale as well. Let's face it, during this situation with the cost of living and everything else, morale is at an all-time low really. It's good to have that kind of vibe here, making new friends and having new experiences.
"Don't get me wrong, for certain individuals it will wain, people are feeling the pinch. It's a difficult situation, especially over Christmas - that hit people hard... some people lost four days pay before Christmas, my pay packet's not going to be good in a few weeks' time, but you make do.
"It's a short-term loss for a long-term gain, big time. At the end of the day, I need a regular income. Keeping my job past 2024 would be nice, basically."
Daren Ireland, regional organiser for the RMT, told the Manchester Evening News he believes the public is still showing 'tremendous' support to members. "Our members remain determined to win this dispute," he added.
"You shouldn't be selling terms and conditions of employment to fund a pay increase. If you're going to negotiate a restructure package, that's separate to a pay deal. What the government seems to do is, you must have changes in terms and conditions to fund the hugely below inflation offer."
In the face of defiance from the union, transport secretary Mark Harper has urged the RMT to get off the picket line and 'round the negotiating table'. He told Times Radio : "There is a very fair pay offer on the table which has been accepted by two of the trade unions on Network Rail.
“The RMT recommended that their members didn’t accept it, but actually a third of their members still voted in favour of it. I think it is time that the RMT got off the picket line and round the negotiating table to try and hammer out a deal with the train operating companies and Network Rail."
Mr Harper later told ITV's Good Morning Britain : "We had some good meetings before Christmas, we have got some more meetings scheduled next week. I would, frankly, rather they were taking place this week rather than the strikes happening, but that was a matter for the unions."
RMT strike action is set to take place today and tomorrow (Wednesday), plus Friday and Saturday. Aslef, the train drivers' union, is set to walk out on Thursday (January 5).
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