Public ‘being held to ransom by rail strike’
Bank Holiday chaos fears as talks go on
RAIL PASSENGERS returning from Bank Holidays breaks have been warned services will be “at a standstill” as unions stage their first national strike in 20 years.
Talks will be held next week with the conciliation service ACAS to try and avert the 24-hour walkout which Network Rail (NR) chief executive Mark Carne said had been “deliberately timed to cause maximum disruption to families trying to enjoy the halfterm break and millions returning to work”.
The strike, called over a pay dispute, is due to start on Bank Holiday Monday, and will affect football fans leaving Wembley after the Championship play-off final, but unions say the biggest impact will be on the Tuesday.
To add to the woes of Network Rail, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association also came out in favour of strike action yesterday, with 53 per cent backing walkouts and 80 per cent other forms of industrial action, in a turnout of more than 50 per cent.
The RMT said it has rejected the latest NR pay proposals as falling “well short” of what is required to maintain the living standards, job security and work- ing conditions for nearly 16,000 staff across NR operations and maintenance.
Union members have rejected a four-year deal worth £500 this year and three years of increases matching RPI inflation as well as a no-compulsory-redundancy commitment to December 2016.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the lump sum payment was “wholly inadequate” given the pressures on staff and the fact the business was generating profits of £1bn.
He said: “Our rail staff deserve a fair reward for the high-pressure, safety-critical work that they undertake day and night and the last thing that we need is a demoralised, burnt-out workforce living in fear for their futures and the message has come back loud and clear that is exactly how they feel about the current offer from Network Rail.”
However, Mr Carne said any pay increase would come from the pockets of taxpayers and passengers as NR was a public service body. He added: “I find it deplorable that the RMT can hold the travelling public to ransom in this way.”
David Leam, infrastructure director at business group London First, said: “This rail strike is a real concern. Every morning, over half a million people travel by rail into London. Many of those people have no alternative journey option and will be forced to stay home.
“That’s bad for business – and particularly bad for those workers unable to work remotely, many of whom will be on lower incomes. In the longer term, industrial action of this nature can only be a drag on London’s reputation as a global business hub.”
Many of those people have no
alternative journey option. David Leam for business
group London First