Stay OFF the rails
» 50,000 workers to strike » 6 days of transport chaos
TRAVEL bosses have told passengers not to go by train next week as the biggest rail strike in 30 years triggers six days of chaos.
Customers have been told “only travel if absolutely essential” as a mass walkout by tens of thousands of workers threatens to bring the country’s rail network to a virtual standstill.
The RMT yesterday called for a face-to-face meeting with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps as union-bashing
Tory ministers were accused of a “dereliction of duty” for failing to meet rail workers’ leaders for three months.
Just one in five services are expected to run on the three strike days – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The knock-on impact will cause disruption to many routes on the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The RMT claims more than 50,000 members at Network Rail and 13 train operating firms will strike over pay and job losses. Network Rail plans to cut 2,500 maintenance jobs as it makes £2billion of savings over two years. The RMT says the jobs are safety critical and that cutting them will make accidents more likely. In all, half of Britain’s rail lines will be closed by the strikes. Where limited services are running, they will mostly start at around 7.30am and finish by 6.30pm on strike days.
A special timetable is due to be published tomorrow showing the services that will operate.
London Underground staff are also due to strike on Tuesday in a separate row over pensions and jobs.
Network Rail says thousands of back-up staff will keep vital services running.
Chief executive Andrew Haines said: “Talks have not progressed as far as I had hoped and so we must prepare for a needless national rail strike.” In a letter to Mr Shapps, RMT boss Mick Lynch claimed the Treasury was “calling the shots” and not allowing rail employers to reach a negotiated settlement with the union.
Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh also wrote to Mr Shapps, saying the last meeting between unions and transport ministers was on March 8. She said: “This is a dereliction of duty and an insult to the hundreds of thousands of passengers who depend on this dispute being resolved.”
Mr Shapps said Mr Lynch had “just a month ago said that he would not meet with a Tory Government”.
Keir Starmer accused PM Boris Johnson of wanting the strikes to go ahead “so he can feed on the division”.
This is a dereliction of duty and insult to passengers LOUISE HAIGH SHADOW TRANSPORT SECRETARY