The biggest railway strikes in three decades will begin on Tuesday after late talks failed to break the deadlock, with RMT union leaders warning that industrial action would continue for as long as necessary.
Most train services in the UK will be canceled on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday due to a dispute over payment and terms. Only skeletal service will work on the main lines and around urban areas.
London Underground workers will also go on strike for 24 hours on Tuesday, halting the capital’s transport system.
RMT Secretary General Mick Lynch said the rail dispute could not be resolved without the government “removing the shackles” of Network Rail and the companies operating the trains. All parts of the rail industry, as well as Transport to London, have been told to find savings as taxi revenues fall after Covid.
But Transport Secretary Grant Shaps said the talks remain a matter for employers. He said the strikes were “organized by some of the highest paid union barons, representing some of the best paid workers in the country, which will cause misery and chaos to millions of commuters.”
RMT said a proposal had been made for payment by train companies in the latest talks on Monday, which is estimated at around 2-3%, with conditions attached and no guarantees against forced redundancies. The union rejected the offer and a similar offer from Network Rail on Friday.
Lynch said the offers were unacceptable, adding: “What we have learned is that the dead hand of this Tory government is in this whole dispute – and Grant Shaps’ fingerprints and Rishi Sunak’s DNA are everywhere on the railroad and indeed in this society. “
He said the source of the dispute was the government’s decision to “cut £ 4 billion in funding from the national railways and TfL … forcing companies to apply austerity in transport … and they have prevented the dispute from being resolved”.
Lynch said: “Until they allow employers to negotiate freely, I can’t see that we will reach an agreement … Our campaign will last as long as necessary until we reach an agreement acceptable to our people.”
Asked if the industrial action could go on for months, Lynch said: “I think it will, yes.”
However, he said RMT remained available for talks during the week.
Network Rail said a larger pay rise – albeit well below current 11% RPI inflation – would be possible if it were to upgrade maintenance and the list.
Andrew Haynes, CEO of Network Rail, said: “No strike is imminent until it starts. Unfortunately, the break tomorrow is guaranteed, so we ask passengers to plan ahead and travel only by train if necessary.
“We continue to talk to RMT and urge them to work with us to find a solution that works for railway workers and taxpayers and avoids further disruption to our passengers.
Train operators said they were “very disappointed” that the union had rejected their latest offer. Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), said: “As the number of passengers is still around 80% of pre-pandemic levels, the industry remains committed to paying fair pay while taking no more than its fair share of taxpayers . This can only be achieved through improvements – such as offering better services on Sundays – that reflect the changing needs of passengers so that we can attract more back. “
RDG said that the total salary of train operators has increased from 3.1 billion pounds in 2017-18 to 3.6 billion pounds in 2019-2020, partly due to increased staffing levels and that the government has supported the industry with an additional £ 16 billion during the pandemic.
Speaking at the Municipality, Shaps said: “We will leave this to the employers, who are the right people to negotiate with the unions. However, he added: “The industry needs to change.”
“We do not impose a wage freeze… But let me be clear, for modernization and reform to work, we must have unions that are ready to modernize, otherwise there can be no deal,” Shaps said.
A YouGov poll commissioned by RDG found that about 25% of voters support the RMT action, while 39% do not.
The lack of Network Rail alarms will have the biggest impact on 40,000 striking workers, including on-board crew and station staff from 13 railway companies.
The strike will disrupt services for six days, with a later start and reduced schedules on non-strike days and will leave most of Wales, Scotland, rural England and the south-west without trains for most of the week.
TfL advised to avoid traveling in all its services on Tuesday, as there is virtually no subway, and buses and London overground trains can be congested and interrupted.
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