50,000 rail workers to strike during by-elections
THE biggest rail strike in more than 30 years has been announced over three days later this month as “militant” union chiefs pile pressure on Boris Johnson by launching industrial action to coincide with crucial by-elections.
Nationwide strikes on June 21, 23 and 25 were yesterday announced by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union in “the biggest dispute on the network since 1989”.
More than 50,000 workers from National Rail and 13 other operators will walk out on June 21, coinciding with a Tube strike in London, and another 40,000 union members will strike on the subsequent dates.
The railway system will be crippled as voters cast their ballots in by-elections in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and Tiverton and Honiton, Devon, following the resignations of Tory MPS Imran Ahmad Khan and Neil Parish.
Both elections are seen as a key test of Mr Johnson’s authority after being wounded by a vote of confidence by MPS on Monday evening.
The industrial action will also wreak havoc for festival-goers travelling to Glastonbury, cricket fans heading to the Third Test with New Zealand in Leeds and those making their way to Armed Forces Day celebrations on June 25.
It is the first time in three decades that signal workers from state-owned Network Rail will walk out, making it almost impossible to run anything other than a skeleton service on strike days.
Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary, said: “Our union will now embark on a sustained campaign of industrial action which will shut down the system.” Last year, he said: “The unions have got to make a militant stand – and use the strike weapon wherever appropriate.”
John Smith, the chief executive of GB Railfreight, added: “The RMT strikes won’t just affect passenger services,
they will have a major impact on the UK’S rail freight network too.
“In a worst-case scenario, we could see some disruption to the delivery of critical goods and materials as well, such as energy sources supplied to UK power plants on our trains.”
Apart from National Rail, the strike involves: Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, South Western Railway,
Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Trains.
After spending more than £16billion on keeping services running in the pandemic, rail chiefs are under strict Government orders to find dramatic cuts.
Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, said: “It is incredibly disappointing that the RMT has decided to take action that could drive passengers away from the rail network for good.
“Unions are jumping the gun by announcing this when talks have only just begun. We, once again, want to urge the unions to come to talks with the rail industry.”
But Mr Lynch said: “Railway workers have been treated appallingly and despite our best efforts in negotiations, the rail industry with the support of the Government has failed to take their concerns seriously.”
Commuter groups said customers would be caught in the crossfire.
“It is passengers who suffer most in the event of strikes,” said Anthony Smith, chief executive of passenger watchdog Transport Focus.