Government ‘inflaming tensions’ over dispute

UNION leaders have accused the Government of “inflaming” tensions over the rail dispute ahead of several days of travel chaos because of train and Tube strikes.

Services on the railways and London Underground will be crippled from Tuesday in the biggest walkout in the industry for more than 30 years in a row over pay, jobs and conditions.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail (NR) and 13 train operators will strike on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with only around one in five trains running and disruption to services on days following the action.

The RMT and Unite is also holding a 24-hour walkout on London Underground which will cause huge disruption to the Tube.

The TUC is calling on the Westminster government to adopt a positive role in the dispute, saying it was “inflaming tensions” with comments such as threatening to “revoke” workers’ legal rights.

The union organisation said rail workers in Wales have reached agreements with rail operators on and job protections while in Scotland there are “meaningful negotiations” taking place.

The TUC said ministers were insisting on imposing cuts and planning to change the law so that employers can draft in agency workers in during industrial action, which it added was reminiscent of the action recently taken by P&O. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Strikes should always be the last resort, not the first, so it is hugely disappointing and premature that the RMT is going ahead with industrial action.”