The government is facing growing anger over its refusal to join recent talks to prevent the biggest railway strike in three decades, with millions facing a week of canceled trains and union leaders warning that industrial action could spread. .
With 40,000 railroad workers scheduled to join the three-day walk this week, Grant Shaps, the transport minister, insisted it was not the government’s job to negotiate with unions on pay, conditions, job cuts and safety.
But Jake Berry, a Conservative lawmaker and former rail minister, was among those who said ministers should bypass the mass-owned Network Rail – train operators and unions.
The strike is set to begin on Tuesday, followed by new strike days on Thursday and Saturday, with members of the RMT union leaving. Due to the interruption of the release, a special schedule will be in force from Monday, and some evening services are limited to Sunday. About 20% of trains will run on highways and urban areas.
RMT and Unite are also holding a separate 24-hour ride on the London Underground on Tuesday, which will lead to huge disruptions in the subway.
In recent weeks, there have been numerous warnings from union leaders about the prospect of further industrial action this year, as wage deals are much less than rising inflation by more than 10%. Caregivers, civil servants, teachers and waste collectors are among those who can vote for strikes in the coming months.
MM Lynch, RMT’s secretary general, also raised the prospect of a rolling train strike program if there is no solution to the dispute. He told Sky News: “If there is no agreement, we will continue our campaign.”
He said: “I think there will be a lot of unions voting all over the country because people can’t stand it anymore. We have people who work full time, who have to receive state aid and use food banks. This is a national disgrace. “
On Sunday night, a source in the railway industry said there was “a glimmer of hope” for a resolution, with talks between the railway industry and unions continuing into the evening, after starting at 2 p.m. However, the two sides still seemed far apart on many key issues.
Strikes also include railroad cleaners, customer service assistants and ticket agents, all of whom earn much less than the average rail worker’s salary and may lose most of their income in real pay cuts.
Keir Starmer, the Labor leader, also accused Schaps of wanting the strikes to continue to sow division, a statement the transport minister dismissed as “crazy”.
Speaking at a local government conference on Sunday, Starmer said: “They want the country to stop so they can feed on division. Instead of spending time this week around the negotiating table, they are designing attacks for attack.
“Instead of talking to adults to get the heat out of the situation, they pour gasoline into the fire. Instead of uniting people in the national interest, they foster division in their political interest. “
But Schaps insisted that the RMT union’s request for a meeting was a “trick” and the union was “determined to strike”.
“In what crazy world would anyone want to see our transport sector stop?” He said, stressing students who can’t take exams and people who are likely to miss hospital appointments and struggle to get jobs.
He told the BBC that RMT was “nostalgic for the unions in the 1970s, when they went to drink sandwiches at number 10 – we will not go back to those days”.
The Conservatives have consistently tried to link the Labor-backed Labor Party to the strikes, although Starmer has repeatedly emphasized that he believes the resignations should not happen.
The planned strikes will be interrupted for six days, with trains limited to one per hour between 7.30 am and 6.30 pm on the main intercity and city routes. The services will start later and will be reduced in the coming days.
The action is being undertaken by Network Rail and on-board and station staff working for 13 train operators in England.
RMT said that thousands of jobs are at risk in maintenance roles and that the closure of ticket offices is planned in addition to the wage freeze during high inflation.
The Sunday Times reported this weekend that there are plans to close all ticket offices by September in a bid to save £ 500m.
Leaving signalers will have the greatest impact, especially in more rural areas – which will lead to the closure of lines in places, including Wales, where there is no direct dispute with the train operator. Most operators have told passengers to travel only if necessary on strike days. Northern Rail advises passengers not to try to travel all week.
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