Corbyn’s ‘solidarity’ with rail union bosses as strike brings chaos

JEREMY Corbyn yesterday expressed his ‘solidarity’ with militant trade union bosses as strike action caused rail chaos across the North.

More than 1,400 trains were axed as guards staged another protest over the introduction of new trains that allow drivers to operate doors.

It triggered yet another day of mayhem for commuters travelling into cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield. But the Labour leader made no reference to the strikes that crippled Northern Rail yesterday.

Instead he voiced his support for the Rail, Maritime & Transport union, which orchestrated the protests and helped bankroll his Labour leadership bid.

In a message on Twitter, Mr Corbyn also seized on the latest action to call for Britain’s railways to be re-nationalised. He said: ‘Solidarity with @RMTunion Northern Rail workers on strike over threats to remove guards and conductors affecting passenger safety. We’ve seen crisis after crisis in Northern Rail. It must be brought into public hands, and run for passengers and staff, not private profit.’

Mr Corbyn was immediately accused by a Tory MP of supporting his ‘trade union paymasters’ and ignoring the plight of passengers. Guards will stage

another strike tomorrow and on Saturday, affecting thousands more services. Northern Rail was running just 1,200 services yesterday, fewer than half the normal weekday schedule of 2,800. It has already cancelled 165 services following the botched introduction of a new timetable across the UK network on May 20. The RMT has already orchestrated 20 days of walk-outs on Northern Rail alone. Union general secretary Mick Cash said the long-running dispute is ‘about putting public safety and access before private profit on our railways’.

However, a report by the Rail Safety and Standards Board last week found trains where drivers control the doors pose no risk. Tory MP Chris Philp, who has campaigned for tougher antistrike laws, said: ‘Jeremy Corbyn should be expressing solidarity with commuters whose lives are being ruined by militant trade union action.

‘Mr Corbyn is putting his trade union paymasters and blind ideology ahead of the travelling public as usual.’ A Northern spokesman said it remains prepared to guarantee jobs and pay for guards but the RMT has rebuffed attempts at further talks. Yesterday rail minister Jo Johnson confirmed that season ticket holders on Northern would be offered refunds for up to four weeks of travel.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘The only people hitting taxpayers in this pointless and unnecessary strike action is the RMT.’