Railroad chiefs have warned that this Christmas could be weaker than usual if militant Mick Lynch continues with more national strikes this summer.
Industry leaders fear a winter crisis could occur if freight trains carrying billions of pounds of gifts, food and drink and holiday decorations up and down the country in July and August are interrupted by further shutdowns of RMT.
Last week, the government largely averted the freight crisis by prioritizing freight over passenger services to avoid food shortages in supermarkets.
But as the Lynch-style brand of the 1970s threatened further strikes – potentially as early as next month – and inevitable growth in Chinese shipping containers, railway chiefs warned: “If this strike escalates, then it may not be Christmas, our children hope. ”
Sources told the Telegraph: “As the year progresses, loads become heavier, especially containers, so this is a big concern. China will come. And these ships are sailing now.
“It always gets busier to get into August, especially when we start seeing Christmas stuff. Because obviously, if you sell it in October, you send it in August, September. So the Christmas wave is not December, it is well ahead of it.
Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the British Ports Association, said ports were preparing to be flooded with shipping containers from China in the coming weeks and hoped to avoid the supply chain chaos seen during the Covid blockade.
He added: “Going forward, we will get closer to these busy pre-Christmas periods. It could then be particularly useless for further strikes.
It also turned out that last week’s strikes forced many rail enthusiasts to miss the Rail Live congress on Stratford-upon-Avon. A source told The Sun: “How stupid RMT chose to strike when such a large exhibition was held for railway staff.” One attendee added, “It was empty because no one could get there, which was ironic.”
And the exams of dozens of medical students were canceled yesterday at 11 a.m. due to the interruption caused by the railway strikes on Lynch.
Students were told by email at 5pm on Friday that the postgraduate practical examination examinations for clinical examination skills had been postponed as a result of “the examiner’s unavailability with short notice due to a combination of Covid cases and travel interruptions”. They have already arranged travel and accommodation for the exams at the hospital in Southampton, the Telegraph reported.
Comes as:
- Lynch yesterday threatened to launch further industrial action. The RMT chief has a mandate to go on strike over the next six months. Ministers fear he may go on strike for another two weeks;
- Keir Starmer’s work came to a standstill today after former Judge David Lamy said he supported both the striking railway workers and the workers who could not come to work because of the strike;
- A fierce game of accusations erupted, with unions accusing Grant Shaps of causing the strikes by refusing to negotiate with RMT;
- Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is ready to destroy the prospect of militant unions with e-newsletters.
VICTORIA: Passengers wait for trains in Victoria in London today as travel interruptions continue after yesterday’s strike
VICTORIA: Passengers sit in the seats of Victoria Station in London and wait for their trains today as the journey continues
KINGS CROSS: Mick Lynch speaks during a rally in solidarity with the striking railway workers yesterday
VICTORIA: Travelers at Victoria Bus Station in London yesterday amid Lynch train strikes
GLASGOW: Chris Mitchell, head of GMB’s denial and cleanup, joins protesters in support of RMT yesterday
Hit this! The business secretary threatens to download the electronic strike bulletins for the unions
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is ready to destroy the prospect of militant unions with e-newsletters.
An independent review of electronic voting in 2017, led by former Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser Sir Ken Knight, concluded that the method should be “tested in a test environment before being introduced in any live situation.” or fully deployed ”and only for non-constitutional votes.
The government then said it would review the recommendations and consult with experts from relevant organizations before responding.
Three years later, in 2020, the Congress of Trade Unions (TUC) argued in favor of e-newsletters, turning the case into law, the moment it “remains firm in the pre-digital era.”
But Mr Quarteng is now expected to formally reject the idea, the Telegraph reported, citing fears that the votes could be vulnerable to a “malicious attack” by foreign countries.
More than 50,000 members of the RMT union left yesterday for the third time this week, with no signs of a breakthrough in discussions between the union and railway operators.
Only one-fifth of the services are operational and half of the lines are closed. Passengers are warned by railway operators that they should only travel by train if necessary and check their travel in advance.
Lynch said the union had not ruled out further strikes, given there were few signs of a breakthrough in the stalemate.
Speaking to the PA news agency on a picket line in front of Euston Station in central London yesterday morning, he said: “We do not rule out strikes, but we have not set dates for any strikes.
“Next week we will do a review with our national executive, who toured the country this week on the picket line, so we will all meet with the leadership of the union and see where we are.
“We will not name dates immediately and will continue to work constructively with the companies to conclude a deal, but this is a really serious challenge at the moment due to the agenda they have and the effects they want on our members.
“Strike actions are not ruled out and they will have to take place if we do not reach a deal, but we hope that we can reach a deal and reach some compromise.
“What we are trying to do is take the most effective strike action if it is to take place. We are not just pretending. This must be a concerted and effective strike, because we do not want to waste our members’ energy on something that is not working. We will review it and see what we need to do if we need to take this action.
Lynch also attacked the government, saying many ministers “never made order.”
He said: “They do not use the system they want and have never worked in this kind of work.
“Many of them have never run a business, but they have also never worked on the tools. As my mother would say, they never made order.
“It’s quite strange.” The people who run this country are brought up on a diet of Latin and Greek, and our members are brought up on a diet to get up in godless times to run the transportation system. I think there is a slight disconnection.
“If we had people who were used to doing work, we could get a better deal from them.”
Mr Lynch later spoke at an RMT rally in front of King’s Cross St Pancras Station, along with Labor MP Diane Abbott and actor Rob Delaney.
Several hundred people gathered with many placards with slogans such as “Tori outside,” “Cut profits, don’t pay,” and “support the railroad workers’ strike.”
Meanwhile, songs such as the workers’ anthem “Internationale” and “Solidarity Forever” sounded from loudspeakers on a makeshift podium.
Ms. Abbott told the crowd: “We have seen the private sector rob the public purse, reduce wages and conditions, undermine job security, and we have seen the public sector become increasingly demoralized.
“But RMT is drawing a line in the sand against all this and offering leadership to working people everywhere, and that’s why it’s so important for RMT to win this dispute.”
Delaney, meanwhile, told the crowd that the strike was “inspiring” and called RMT’s actions “the tip of the spear.”
“I offer my unwavering support and solidarity,” he said.
More than 90% of London office workers were forced to work for WFH on the first day of Mick Lynch’s rail strikes. The average occupancy of offices in the capital was only 9% on Tuesday compared to 42% last Tuesday – even lower than the peak of December’s fear of Omicron. Yesterday, employment levels rose to 23%, according to technology company Freespace
KINGS CROSS: Kings Cross Station was deserted on Thursday as millions of passengers face a third day of chaos
MANCHESTER: Manchester’s Piccadilly Station is almost deserted on Thursday, the second day of mass strikes
Decide! Labor is in disarray because of the strikes, as Lamy says he supports both the strikers and the workers who cannot come to work because of them.
Keir Starmer’s work fell into disarray today after David Lamy said he supported both strikers and workers who could not come to work because of them.
Speaking to broadcasters on Sunday morning news, the shadow foreign minister said it was “not for Labor to interfere” in any issue the workers were concerned about.
He told Sky News: “There are many issues that concern workers across the country. It is not for Labor to interfere in everyone and pretend that we can negotiate, or that we are in the details of it – we are not, that is the truth.
“If we were in government, we would go around the table, we would not play a union.”
Asked if he would support the strikes of various unions, he said: “I admit that there is a crisis in the cost of living, I admit that workers are suffering and I admit that they have a government that does not listen, but I admit it is negotiations – bypassed the negotiating table and fix this problem.
Mr Lamy also denied allegations that Sir Cair had “lost control of his own MPs” after dozens joined RMT picket lines against the Labor leader’s order.
Asked what the consequences will be …
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