Furious ministers today accused rail union barons of ‘holding the country to ransom’ by targeting passengers traveling home for Christmas by calling new strikes from December 24-27.
Boss of the militant RMT Union Mick Lynch announced the new action last night after wage negotiations with the railway bosses broke down. He acknowledged that ‘the traveling public will be very disappointed, annoyed and angry’, but claimed the union had ‘no choice’.
More than 40,000 rail workers walk out from 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve to 6 a.m. on December 27. over there. Normally the trains run until about 10:00 PM.
HAVE YOU CANCELED YOUR CHRISTMAS PLANS BECAUSE OF THE STRIKE? Email [email protected]
Schools Minister Nick Gibb today urged Lynch’s militant RMT union not to “hold the country to ransom.” in two years, which is in line with the type of wage agreements that take place outside the public sector.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb today urged Mick Lynch’s militant RMT union not to ‘hold the country to ransom’
More than 40,000 rail workers walk out from 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve to 6 a.m. on December 27. over there. Normally the trains run until about 10:00 PM
“So I think the unions really need to call off this strike. It burdens people all over the country in the run up to Christmas, I think it’s a very bad way of negotiating.
“We are urging unions to talk to employers, keep negotiating and not hold the country to ransom, especially in December as we get closer to Christmas.”
Two 48-hour strikes next week, on December 13-14 and 16-17, will also continue, along with two more on January 3-4 and 6-7.
However, the union canceled an overtime ban from December 18 to January 2, which could have led to hundreds of last-minute cancellations. Several operators depend on overtime to run a full schedule.
Mr Lynch said a new offer for a 9 per cent pay rise over this year, backdated to January, will be put to workers in a referendum next year. The offer also does not include redundancies until 2025.
But Mr Lynch said the union will encourage members to reject it. The results will be announced on Monday.
It means next week’s strikes will continue regardless, but the December 24-27 and January actions will be called off if members agree.
However, separate 8 percent wage offers from 14 train companies covering most of the country that are also involved in the dispute will not be presented to members. This also includes a guarantee that there will be no redundancies until April 2024.
This means there is likely to be significant disruption in the coming weeks, even if Network Rail’s offer is accepted.
Mr Lynch added: ‘At the moment we have nothing acceptable to us and we feel compelled to take this action because of the government’s intransigence. What has been presented to us is an extremely disadvantageous offer.
“It’s very poor relative to the reward elements and our members are just not in a position to accept the changes that the companies have put on the table.”
The RMT claims the train operators’ offer would lead to job losses as it includes closing some ticket offices and rolling out more unattended trains across the network.
Mr Lynch denied that offering the Network Rail offer to members and lifting the overtime ban indicated he was ‘under pressure’.
But industry insiders said he faced a growing backlash from workers angry about the ban on overtime because it’s a lucrative option for them this time of year.
Many would also be angry that they have already lost thousands of pounds as a result of national strikes called for by the union since June. Internal industry estimates suggest some workers will lose more than £4,000.
Former Leveling Up secretary Simon Clarke tweeted: ‘This is horrible by the RMT – ruining people’s Christmas with an 8% pay rise over two years on the table (and no redundancies).
“The railway received £16bn – £600/household – in emergency funding during Covid and the average salary of drivers is £59,000, that of staff is £44,000.”
It came as No. 10 said it left the door open for tougher anti-strike laws.
RMT supporters protest outside Network Rail offices on 27 July 2022
Commuters at a train station in London
Ministers tabled ‘minimum service’ legislation in parliament last month that will force union barons to ensure a certain number of trains run on strike days.
But it will not take effect until next year and does not apply to non-transport sectors.
While there are currently no plans to expand the scope, No. 10 said yesterday that the situation is being monitored.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘We are looking at the right balance with regard to strikes. We will not hesitate to make changes if we deem it necessary.’
The RMT picket line at Elephant and Castle station on November 10, 2022 in London
Sir Keir Starmer rejected calls for tougher anti-strike laws to better protect the public from crippling strikes.
Yesterday in Leeds, the Labor leader was asked if the party would withdraw minimum services legislation.
He said: ‘I don’t think more legislation restricting the right to strike is the right way forward. I think the government should solve the underlying problem. The government must stop, and it has sat on its hands during these disputes.”
Railway workers, ambulance crews, firefighters, teachers, security guards, cleaners, porters and driving examiners are also planning actions that will have an effect every day until Christmas. The unions are fighting for significant wage increases for members to reflect inflation, which is rising to 11 percent.
But government officials say this is prohibitively expensive and would cost taxpayers more than £28 billion.
HAVE YOU CANCELED YOUR CHRISTMAS PLANS BECAUSE OF THE STRIKE? Email [email protected]