Give the strikes a rest for all our sakes

Awinter of discontent is turning into a summer of sullenness as unions continue industrial action that began last year. The rail unions have just ruined countless weekends by staging strikes on Friday and Saturday, affecting travel to the Eurovision Song Contest. They are threatening to stop work again on the day of the FA Cup Final between the two big Manchester clubs making travel to London difficult.

Mick Lynch, the leader of the RMT, said it was not their intention to disrupt the movements of the travelling public, but those unable to get trains may beg to differ.

The justification for these stoppages is becoming more outlandish. Mr Lynch said it was all the fault of the Government’s “anti-trade union” laws that the strike had coincided with Eurovision.

Additionally, he is adopting the rationale we are also hearing from the teachers, nurses and junior doctors – that the strikes are not just about money but are for the good of the railways/schools/nhs and therefore to the advantage of the nation. Given the country’s parlous economic position this is special pleading of the worst kind.

Nurses are due to be balloted again by the Royal College to support action in favour of a doubledigit pay rise. A recommendation that staff accept the Government’s offer of five per cent plus a one-off payment of £1,655 was accepted by most health unions but rejected by nurses, despite the RCN leadership’s endorsement of it.

Pat Cullen, the RCN general secretary, now says an offer of more than 10 per cent is needed just to restart talks, something the Government is not prepared to countenance.

Ms Cullen said ministers owe it to nurses “not to push them to have to do another six months of industrial action right up to Christmas”.

But no one is forcing them to strike, any more than teachers in England are being made to walk out, inflicting further harm on a generation of children whose education was so severely affected by the pandemic closures.

The teaching unions are threatening a coordinated series of strikes in the autumn term just as children return from their summer holidays.

It is now likely that this series of strikes will continue until the end of the year and possibly beyond. The fatuous protestations of the union bosses that they are being staged for the good of the rest of us just add insult to injury.