Keir Starmer has been warned by one of his most experienced MPs that he is in danger of making a big mistake in not supporting railroad workers in their wage dispute.
Jon Cruddas, who served as Tony Blair’s advisor on unions, said families were facing a historic drop in their incomes. He said the Labor party should support workers fighting effective wage cuts.
“We’re seeing a unique historical contraction in family income,” he said. “Railroad strikes are definitely the canary for the coal mine. You can’t dodge that. Workers have to support those who seek to defend their standard of living.”
Starmer told Labor MPs last week that they should stay away from pickets during rail strikes. Despite the edict, five leaders attended the first day of union action on Tuesday.
Cruddas, the Dagenham and Rainham MP, said Starmer’s team was trying to emulate the New Labor by moving away from the unions, but the economic circumstances were very different. He said the Conservative government was trying to force workers to bear the costs of the pandemic.
Keir Starmer is accused of trying to emulate the New Labor by pushing the party away from the unions. Photo: House of Commons / PA
He said: “Having printed hundreds of billions of pounds, thus fueling inflationary pressures, the government is determined to ensure that workers carry the can.
“This is what Labor has to contend with. It will be tough, but there is no safe ground, no way to hide from it, no tactical dodging. That’s why the match was really created. It requires real leadership. “
Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said he would not tell Starmer how to run the party, but that he needed better policies to attract the grassroots workforce. He said Starmer “has not been able to tell the working classes in traditional communities that” we have a permanent message on how to improve your lives. “
An Opinium poll for the Observer shows that 24% of respondents believe Labor had given too much support to the strikes, and only 13% believe they were too opposed to it. Twenty percent considered that he had struck the right balance. More than half of respondents (52%) said railroad workers should be able to strike; 36% think they shouldn’t.
The Trade Union Congress said this weekend that an independent legal opinion on contracts between the Department of Transport (DfT) and train operating companies had confirmed the government’s key role in the negotiations. Michael Ford QC’s legal opinion concludes that Grant Shapps, the transportation secretary, has “very broad powers” over what can be agreed between rail operators and unions. Railway operators must agree a mandate with the secretary of transport before discussing any change in payment, conditions or restructuring.
Frances OGrady, TUC secretary general, said: “The prime minister and his transport minister have deceived the public. When they said the government has no role in handling this dispute, that is not true. .
“When they said that the negotiations are only for the employers and the unions, this is not correct. We have always believed that ministers had the power to stretch the threads of train companies, behind the scenes. And this legal opinion on railway contracts confirms this.
“The transport secretary could unblock this dispute. Instead, he has gone through television studies throwing fuel into the fire. Britain deserves better. We deserve the honesty of our government.”
A DfT spokesman said: “It is extremely misleading to suggest that the transport secretary be involved in these negotiations. His role is to protect the public stock market, ensuring value for money for working people in this country.
“You are asked to set the limits of taxpayer support and ultimately sign any agreement, not to participate in the negotiation of one, and your contracts with operators allow you to do just that. We urge union representatives once again to return to the negotiating table instead of calling more strikes ”.