Unions’ gravy train

WITH staggering hypocrisy, this week the rail unions were posturing as friends of the commuter by criticising rail fare hikes of up to 3.2 per cent planned for January.

But if they really cared about passengers, might their members be prepared to accept Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s entirely reasonable suggestion that their pay increases be linked to a lower level of inflation, thus reducing cost pressures?

No, of course not. When asked this week, Aslef dinosaur Mick Whelan, who represents drivers, replied: ‘ Well unfortunately I’m from a trade union. Why would we accept pay cuts?’

The unions’ brutal stranglehold on the rail industry has sent pay spiralling out of control, with drivers now earning £53,000 a year and enjoying gold-plated pensions and a four- day week – not to mention Sundays off and generous overtime, terms of employment most of their passengers can only dream of.

In truth, the union bully boys couldn’t care less about hard-pressed commuters. IN another grim day for high streets across Britain, official figures show nearly one pound in every five is now spent online. If this trend continues, store closures and job losses will only get worse. So surely it’s time to cut punitive business rates instead of increasing them by an estimated £194million next year?