Will ‘XR-style’ strikers glue themselves to rail tracks?

MINISTERS are said to be preparing themselves for Britain’s biggest rail union to use Extinction Rebellion-style tactics for its planned summer of chaos.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union, which is balloting for a nationwide strike in a row over job cuts and pay freezes, threatened ‘civil disobedience’ in its March newsletter.

Government sources yesterday understood it could see union officials and members resort to drastic methods such as ‘gluing themselves to the tracks’. Such claims have been denied, however, by the RMT, who accused ministers of trying to mount ‘anonymous scare stories’ without evidence.

At the end of May, more than 40,000 workers are being asked to vote in favour of industrial action over plans by Network Rail to cut 2,500 jobs.

A Government source told The Sunday Telegraph: ‘The mind boggles at the RMT turning themselves into Extinction Rebellion and gluing themselves to the tracks – could anything be more counter-productive?’ But an RMT spokesman said ‘at no time’ had it suggested ‘members will glue themselves to any tracks’.