Rail strikes prove RMT doesn’t care about workers

Union barons are on a Marxist power trip that will inflict misery on millions of people and further damage the railways

In a throwback to the dark days of the 1970s when a wave of strikes crippled Britain, RMT boss Mick Lynch implored those at a central London protest march over the weekend to “Stand up and fight with us!”. Much like his late predecessor Bob “Crowbar” Crow, Lynch revels in his reputation as Britain’s most militant union baron.

The worst strikes for 30 years haven’t even begun, and Lynch is already raising the prospect of action dragging on into next year. He has also been egging on workers in other sectors to follow suit. It is clear he is relishing the chaos and disruption.

Most tellingly, in recent days the 60-year-old has said he’s “nostalgic” for the era of the miners’ strike. Ah, yes – because those truly were halcyon days for this country.

As he inflicts misery on millions of ordinary people, what Lynch seems to fail to understand is that the RMT is betraying the very workers that he claims to care so passionately about.

Swathes of the country will be unable to make it into the office, but not everyone has the privilege of working from home or of falling back on the £124,000-a-year pay package that the RMT general secretary commands. What about all the key workers who rely on the trains to get to work? Or the self-employed, whose livelihoods will suffer as a result of this action? Why should they suffer a hit to their incomes so that already well-paid train staff can receive more?

Are we genuinely expected to accept that those employed on Britain’s woefully inadequate railways are more deserving of an inflationbusting pay rise than nurses, teachers, police, firefighters or numerous other vital professions?

Rail employees are already better paid than many of their key-worker counterparts, and the rest of the country is being subjected to a fierce pay squeeze. It’s a circle that cannot be squared and the strong impression is that Lynch would happily see Britain come to a standstill, regardless of the damage inflicted.

The timing is particularly egregious. A string of high-profile events including Glastonbury and Armed Forces day will be affected during one of the busiest weeks of summer. But the decision to jeopardise the future of the country’s sixth-formers by striking during exam season is an unforgivable act.

The case for industrial action isn’t just weak, it’s non-existent. There is a far stronger argument for pay restraint. Despite being propped up by billions of pounds of Treasury support during the pandemic, the nation’s railways remain in a sorry state. Demand is stuck way below pre-pandemic levels, and reform and technological innovation are needed to make services more sustainable.

This is hardly the backdrop against which the unions should be attempting to hold the country to ransom, nor is it the way to repay taxpayers who stood by the industry during the pandemic.

It is a huge betrayal of the £16bn of Treasury support – equivalent to £600 for every household in the country – that was pumped into rail when passenger numbers fell off a cliff as Covid tore through the population, money that ensured tens of thousands of RMT members kept their jobs and were able to keep supporting their families while others such as the self-employed, faced a more uncertain future.

The walkout is likely to inflict further damage on railways, as more commuters conclude that trains have never been more unreliable, choosing to drive to work or work from home more often instead. Another exodus of passengers would have a devastating effect on the network’s fragile finances, potentially triggering more cutbacks and job losses.

A call for teachers, doctors, nurses and barristers to join the pay fight risks being equally counter-productive. With union bosses raising the spectre of the 1926 general strike, there is risk of Britain grounding to a halt, hastening a full-blown recession – at which point the public’s patience would surely break.

In the rush to flex its muscles, the RMT is in danger of misreading the public mood. According to a Yougov poll, about one in two people believe demands for a double-digit pay rise are “unreasonable”, while similar numbers think now is not the right time to strike.

The Government may also respond by toughening its stance. Legislation is already being brought forward that allows employers to parachute agency workers in to mitigate the fallout from strike action. It may also strengthen the determination of ministers to introduce new laws making it illegal to strike unless a minimum service is maintained.

That would not be unfair. Union bosses are fond of reminding people about the democratic right of workers to strike, but what about the rights of citizens whose lives are at risk of being repeatedly upended by such protests? There is clearly a balance to be struck between the two.

The suspicion is that the whole farrago is politically motivated. Lynch claims there has been no deal on the table but according to weekend reports the RMT rejected a pay offer from Network Rail worth more than 3pc only last week.

It seems determined to strike no matter what, as long as it succeeds in further undermining a Tory government. Having conducted 204 strike ballots in the past three years, it is a movement that seems addicted to industrial action.

Perhaps the rail walkouts are less about solidarity and workers rights, and more about fulfilling the Marxist fantasies of one man on a power trip.

‘The case for industrial action at this time isn’t just weak, it’s non-existent’