At last, common sense for the travelling public
AfTER a summer of rail strikes which caused widespread disruption across the network, today the Government is taking action to keep Britain moving.
Workers will no longer hold passengers to ransom by bringing trains and buses to a standstill. from 2023, even during the most damaging of strikes, a certain number of services will still have to run to ensure the hardworking people and businesses in this country can go about their day to day lives.
It will mean a nurse will no longer have to cancel appointments caring for patients because there are no trains. It will mean a mum doesn’t have to keep her children off school because she can’t get them there.
It will mean a builder no longer loses a day’s pay due to strikes called by those likely earning far more than them. It will mean the independent cafe at your local station doesn’t have to close because of a lack of footfall.
far too often, people up and down the country have asked me to do something about these strikes, which are damaging every aspect of their lives and livelihoods.
Well, today, we are. Through legislation we will put forward this morning, this Bill represents common sense for the travelling public.
It’s also welcome news for our economy. Estimates suggest that the first wave of rail strikes in June alone cost the UK economy nearly £100million, just when we needed transport to drive our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
This delivers on the Prime Minister’s pledge to introduce minimum service levels legislation within 30 days of Parliament sitting. We very much hope the current rail strikes will be over, and a new pay deal agreed, long before it becomes law next year.
The last thing we need is a winter of paralysis on the railways, in the middle of a cost- of-living crisis, when people need to get to work.
It brings Britain into line with other nations, including france and Spain, which also have laws to keep transport operating during strikes.
OUR Bill will cover all types of transport and we will consult with industries on specific levels of service for buses, trams and underground trains, as well as mainline trains. This is not about making strikes illegal, it is ensuring certainty for public transport users.
While this legislation is moving through Parliament, the rail industry will continue to negotiate with unions to reach a solution. I want a solution that allows us to modernise and improve our railways, yet pays workers fairly.
The current strikes are achieving nothing, apart from frustrating passengers, hurting businesses, and slowing down our recovery. So, I urge unions to get around the negotiating table and agree a compromise.