‘Tone change with strikes’ says Merriman
New rail minister Huw Merriman claimed the Government has “changed the tone” on strikes which have decimated train services in recent months.
The latest strikes – which were due to begin on Saturday, November 5 – were called off at short notice by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).
But the union says the dispute remains “very much live” and it is continuing its re-ballot of members to secure a fresh mandate for action with the result due on November 15.
Asked if he planned to meet the union leaders, Mr Merriman said: “Myself and the Secretary of State (Mark Harper), I think we’ve changed the tone in terms of how we feel about trade unions.
“we understand they have their members to represent but we do need to see this actually come to an end.”