staunch Lammy has said he “categorically” does not support a possible strike by BA check-in staff because he wanted to defend Labour’s stance on industrial action.
The shadow foreign minister told broadcasters during Sunday morning’s news rounds that Labor continues to support negotiations and a deal over disputes over pay, jobs and working conditions.
It comes at a time when Labor is under pressure to support rail, maritime and transport (RMT) trade unionists whose union action this week paralyzed rail services.
Asked if he would support BA staff voted to go on strike by the GMB and Unite unions, Mr Lammy told BBC News on Sunday: “We all suffer from inflation.
“Many of us may want a 10% (wage) increase; in reality, most people understand that you are unlikely to get that.
“It would definitely not be right, it wouldn’t be a responsible opposition, if I were to propose yes to any strike.”
When asked if he supports the proposed check-in staff strike, he said: “No, I don’t. No, I don’t – it’s a no, it’s a categorical no.”
When asked why, he said, “Because I’m serious about being with the government and being with the government is that you support negotiations.”
Mr Lammy also argued that Labor supports all working people, including those who have to travel by train to earn a living.
“It’s Labor because historically we want to associate ourselves with working people wherever they are across the country,” he told BBC News.
“Let’s take these railway strikes – working people find it very difficult if they can’t work to earn a living, but there are also working people who work at the railways who see their pay falling and are concerned about layoffs in this time.
If we were in government we’d sit down, we wouldn’t be unionized
“The way to deal with that is to negotiate, to sit around the table.”
He said the RMT is not affiliated with Labour, adding: “It is also important to say that we need to support working people wherever they are in the country, and that clearly goes beyond RMT union members.”
Mr Lammy previously argued that “it is not up to Labor to intervene” on every issue that concerns workers.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “There are a myriad of issues that workers are dealing with across the country.
“It’s not up to Labor to intervene in each of them and pretend we can negotiate, or that we’re on the details of that – we’re not the truth of this.
“If we were in government, we would sit down, we wouldn’t be a union.”
Asked if he would support strike action by various unions, he said: “I recognize that there is a cost of living crisis, I recognize that the workers are hurting and I recognize that they have a government that is not listening, but I acknowledge it is a negotiation – sit down at the negotiating table and solve this problem.”
Mr Lammy also denied suggestions that Sir Keir has “lost control of his own MPs” after dozens joined RMT picket lines against the Labor leader’s order.
Asked what the repercussions will be for those MPs, Mr Lammy told BBC News on Sunday: “I suspect the headwrap will speak to them next week and make it very clear that a serious governing party is not joining the picket lines.”
He later said: “We have just seen that the parties that have lost control are those that are losing votes, and I think it is the Conservatives and the Prime Minister who have lost his constituency.
“The PvdA is in a strong position with strong leadership and a clear course.”
Mr Lammy added that he had seen some photos of Labor MPs on picket lines but added: “There is no suggestion of any dispute within the party at all.”