Soccer matches and strikes have been postponed as Britain mourns the Queen

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Soccer matches and strikes have been postponed as Britain mourns the Queen
Empty stands at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.Julian Finney/Getty Images
  • Soccer games and strikes are being postponed as a mark of respect following the Queen's death.
  • Rail workers had been due to walk out over pay and conditions next week.
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Soccer matches and rail strikes are among the events being postponed in Britain following the death of the Queen on Thursday.

The Premier League tweeted on Friday that "as a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this weekend's Premier League match round will be postponed".

Games due to be played on Monday night will also be postponed, along with Football Association and English Football League matches.

Meanwhile, unions leaders have called off industrial action due to take place next week.

"In light of the sad news of Queen Elizabeth II's death, ASLEF is postponing its industrial action on 15th September," the union that represents train drivers tweeted on Thursday night. It also expressed its deepest condolences to the monarch's family, friends and the country.

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ASLEF members at 12 train companies were due to strike following a long-running dispute over pay.

The RMT, one of the UK's largest transport unions with 83,000 members, has also suspended two days of industrial action scheduled for September 15 and 17.

"RMT joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth," Mike Lynch, RMT's general secretary said in a statement.

The TSSA, another union representing workers in transport and travel industries, said planned industrial action for September had been canceled.

The transport workers join those from other industries, including postal workers to have suspended industrial action in the wake of the Queen's death, per the BBC.

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The CWU, which represents some Royal Mail workers, tweeted on Thursday: "Following the very sad news of the passing of the Queen and out of respect for her service to the country and her family, the union has decided to call off tomorrows planned strike action."

The Bank of England has also delayed its meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee, which sets interest rates, by a week to September 22.

Business leaders including Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates offered their condolences to the royal family after the death of Britain's longest-serving monarch.

Tourist attractions including the London Zoo, some shops, and businesses said they would not open on Friday.

The BBC, Britain's state broadcaster, suspended usual coverage on its main channel, BBC One, on Thursday afternoon and has continued rolling news coverage commemorating the Queen on Friday. Some programs, such as the popular drama "EastEnders", have been moved to BBC Two.

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