Poll f inds just 25% of voters back protests

ONLY one in four voters support the train strikes that will bring chaos to Britain next week, a new poll has found.

According to the YouGov survey, just 25 per cent back the action while a total of 39 per cent do not.

It also found that more than half – 52 per cent – said that demands by railway workers for a double-digit pay rise were ‘unreasonable’.

Only 26 per cent thought the demands were ‘reasonable’. Similarly, some 57 per cent of people polled said they thought such pay increases were currently ‘unaffordable’, while only 17 per cent thought they were ‘affordable’.

The three strike days – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – cover the busiest period for the railway network since before the Covid pandemic, with two by-elections being held, the Glastonbury Festival, athletics championships in Manchester and concerts in London’s Hyde Park featuring Elton John and the Rolling Stones.

The poll, commissioned by industry body the Rail Delivery Group, found that almost half of those questioned – 49 per cent – disagree with the timing of the strikes. It also showed almost half supported a reduction in Government subsidies for the railways.

The public also backed moves to change working conditions for rail workers to require Sunday shifts as part of the normal weekly rota.

Of the 1,678 adults surveyed between June 14 and 15, 59 per cent wanted to see more staff contracted to work weekends rather than rely on volunteers, while only 24 per cent said staff should be able to choose whether to work weekends.

Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, said: ‘Noone wins in the event of a strike. Staff lose pay, the industry loses vital revenue, making it harder to afford pay increases, and people’s lives and livelihoods are disrupted.’

He added: ‘This polling is clear that the majority of people want to see a more modern railway that is able to offer a more reliable service on a Sunday.

‘What is also clear is that the industry cannot keep asking the taxpayer to fund an industry where passenger numbers remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

‘Instead of striking, we need the RMT leadership to work with us to secure a deal that is fair to our staff, fair to our passengers and fair to taxpayers.’