The government is facing growing anger over its refusal to join the latest talks to avoid the biggest rail strike in three decades, with millions facing a week of canceled and leading trains warning that industrial action could spread.
With 40,000 railway workers due to join three days’ departure this week, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps insisted it was not the government’s job to negotiate with unions on wages, conditions, job cuts and security.
But Jake Berry, a Conservative MP and former railroad minister, was one of those who said ministers should get around the table with Network Rail, which is owned by the government, train operators and unions.
The strike will begin on Tuesday, followed by more strikes on Thursday and Saturday, with the departure of members of the RMT union. Due to the resulting disruptions, a special schedule will be in operation from Monday, with some night services slowing down, until Sunday. About 20% of trains will run on main lines and urban areas.
The RMT and Unite are also celebrating a 24-hour separate London Underground journey on Tuesday, which will cause a major disruption to the Tube.
In recent weeks, there have been numerous warnings from union leaders about the possibility of new industrial action this year because wage agreements are a long way from rising inflation by more than 10%. Caregivers, officials, teachers and garbage collectors are among those who may vote on the strikes in the coming months.
Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT, also raised the possibility of a continuous program of train strikes 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 that will vote all over the country because people can’t stand it anymore. We have people who work full time who have to get state benefits and use the food banks. That’s a shame. national “.
On Sunday night, a rail source said there was “some hope” of a resolution, and talks between the rail industry and unions continued until the evening after it began at 2 p.m. late. However, the two sides still appeared very separate on many of the key issues.
Strikes also involve railway cleaners, customer service assistants and box office staff, who earn much less than the average salary of railway workers and may lose the largest proportion of their income in real terms from wage cuts.
Labor leader Keir Starmer also accused Shapps of wanting the strikes to continue to sow division, a complaint the Transport Secretary described as “crazy”.
Speaking at a local government conference on Sunday, Starmer said: “They want the country to stop in order to feed off the division. Instead of spending their time this week around the negotiating table, they are designing attack ads.
“Instead of talking to adults about the situation, they are pouring gas into the fire. Instead of bringing people together in the national interest, they are feeding the division in their political interest. “
But Shapps insisted that the RMT union’s request for a meeting was a “trick” and that the union was “determined to strike.”
“In what kind of crazy world would anyone want to see our transportation sector stop?” he said, highlighting students who are unable to attend exams and people who may miss hospital appointments and have difficulty getting to work.
He told the BBC that the RMT was “nostalgic for the power of the unions in the 1970s when they were going to have sandwiches at number 10; we won’t go back to those days”.
Conservatives have consistently tried to associate the union-backed Labor party with the strikes, although Starmer has repeatedly stressed that he believes the departures 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 interurban and urban routes. Services will start later and be reduced in the following days.
The action is being taken by Network Rail employees and staff on board and the station working for 13 train operators in England.
The RMT has said that thousands of jobs are at risk in terms of maintenance and that the closure of lockers is planned in addition to the wage freeze during a time of high inflation.
The Sunday Times reported this weekend that there are plans to close all lockers in September with the aim of saving £ 500 million.
The output of the signals will have a greater 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 only travel if strike days are needed. Northern Rail has advised passengers not to try to travel all week.