UK rail workers stage their second strike of the week after talks fail

Thousands of railway workers were staging their second strike of the week on Thursday after talks failed to resolve a bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions (James Manning/PA)

THU, 23 JUN, 2022 - 
ALAN JONES, PA INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

Thousands of UK railway workers were staging their second strike of the week on Thursday after talks failed to resolve a bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail and 13 train operators will take industrial action, crippling services across the UK.

Only around one in five trains will run and mainly on main lines during the day.

Ahead of the strike, the Government announced plans to change the law to enable businesses to supply skilled agency workers to plug staffing gaps during industrial action.

Ministers pointed out that under current trade union laws, employment businesses are restricted from supplying temporary agency workers to cover for strikers, saying it can have a “disproportionate impact”.

The legislation will repeal the “burdensome” legal restrictions, giving businesses impacted by strike action the freedom to tap into the services of employment businesses who can provide skilled, temporary agency staff at short notice, said the government.

Network Rail welcomed the move but Labour and unions condemned it as a “recipe for disaster.”

We will continue with our industrial campaign until we get a negotiated settlement that delivers job security and a pay rise for our members that deals with the escalating cost-of-living crisis

The RMT accused Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of “wrecking” negotiations.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Grant Shapps has wrecked these negotiations by not allowing Network Rail to withdraw their letter threatening redundancy for 2,900 of our members.

“Until the Government unshackle Network Rail and the train operating companies, it is not going to be possible for a negotiated settlement to be agreed.

“We will continue with our industrial campaign until we get a negotiated settlement that delivers job security and a pay rise for our members that deals with the escalating cost-of-living crisis.”

Mr Shapps hit back, saying the RMT claim was a “lie”.

Tory Minister Grant Shapps denied he has ‘wrecked’ negotiations (Aaron Chown/PA)

Meanwhile, members of the drivers’ union Aslef on Greater Anglia will strike on Thursday in a separate dispute over pay.

The company, which is also affected by the RMT strike, advised passengers to travel only if it was necessary.

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) announced that its members at Merseyrail had accepted a 7.1% pay offer.

General secretary Manuel Cortes said: “What this clearly shows is our union, and sister unions, are in no way a block on finding the solutions needed to avoid a summer of discontent on the railways.

“Rather, it is the Government who are intent on digging in their heels. Grant Shapps would be wise to start talking seriously to our union as we ballot for industrial action on our railways up and down the land.”

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson: “With passenger numbers still at only 80% of pre-pandemic levels the industry remains committed to giving a fair deal on pay while taking no more than its fair share from taxpayers.

We call on the RMT leadership to continue to talk so that we can secure a thriving long-term future for the railway and its workforce

“We can only achieve that by making improvements – like offering better services on a Sunday – that reflect the changing needs of passengers so we can attract more back.

“We call on the RMT leadership to continue to talk so that we can secure a thriving long-term future for the railway and its workforce.

“Our advice to passengers remains the same, only travel by rail if absolutely necessary, check before you travel and make sure you know the time of your first and last trains.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that the RMT have again chosen to walk away from negotiations without agreeing a deal. We remain available for talks – day or night – and will do everything we can to avoid further disruption for our passengers.

“As a result of this needless and premature strike, rail services will look much like they did on Tuesday – starting later in the morning and finishing much earlier in the evening (around 6.30pm).

“We are asking passengers to please check before you travel, be conscious of when your last available train is departing, and only travel by train if necessary.”

SOLIDARITY A WORKING CLASS VALUE
Zarah Sultana among Labour MPs defying Keir Starmer to back striking rail workers

She was pictured with nine other MPs on a picket line at London’s Victoria Station yesterday



By Enda Mullen

 22 JUN 2022

An RMT picket line at Coventry railway station and inset Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana

Coventry MP Zarah Sultana is among a number of Labour MPs who have shown support for this week’s rail strikes - and by doing so defied Keir Starmer. The Labour leader ordered senior Labour MPs not to show support for the strikes, however not all have followed those orders.

Ms Sultana was pictured with nine other MPs on a picket line at London’s Victoria Station yesterday (Tuesday) on the first day of the strike, which resumes again tomorrow and will also take place on Saturday. And the Coventry South MP also voiced her support for striking rail workers on Twitter.

She said: “Polling shows that 58% of the public back the rail and tube strikes. There’s a simple reason for that: by striking for fair wages. @RMTunion members are fighting for all working people against greedy profiteers."

READ MORE: Coventry train station a ghost town as services all but grind to a halt

Frontbenchers Kate Osborne, Paula Barker and Navendu Mishra are also among those to have tweeted pictures of themselves at picket lines. The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also offered “solidarity” to the strikers.

It is understood that Labour may take disciplinary action against frontbench MPs who defy the call not to appear on picket lines, but it’s not expected immediately. Millions of rail passengers in England, Scotland and Wales have been hit by the strike, which started on Tuesday and is due to continue on Thursday and Saturday.

The RMT union - whose members voted to strike - is asking for a pay rise of at least seven per cent to offset the rising cost of living, but it says employers have offered a maximum of three per cent, on condition they also accept job cuts and changes to working practices.

The Conservatives have accused Labour of failing to condemn the industrial action. Locally Meriden Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti was critical of Labour’s support of rail strikes.


VIEW GALLERY

He said: “I know that in my constituency, many people rely on rail services to get to work or school. These are people who just want to go about their daily business without having to worry about how they will get to their workplace or worried about the possibility of missing out on their education because they cannot get to school.

"I believe it speaks volumes that when families are facing global cost of living pressures, Labour are more concerned with backing national strikes which will disrupt than helping people in their time of need. I strongly urge Labour to abandon their support for the strike and instead join me in standing up for the rights of hardworking people adversely affected by Labour’s distressing attempt to play political games.”

Meriden Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti in Parliament

A former adviser to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has warned there will be an “explosion” if the party disciplines any frontbenchers joining picket lines in support of striking rail workers. Simon Fletcher, who also advised former leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband, said there has been “a lot of simmering resentment and irritation” over the party’s current position.

READ MORE
Unions warn UK rail strikes could last for months after negotiations fail