New woe as rail union bosses announce 20,000 workers will strike
New woe for commuters as 20,000 rail workers will strike on July 20, 22 and 29 across 14 train companies as union chief Mick Lynch boasts: ‘This will show the country just how important railway staff are’
- The RMT has announced that 20,000 workers will go on strike July 20, 22 and 29
- Mick Lynch said latest action will show the country just how important staff are
Tens of thousands of rail workers will strike in July as part of an ongoing rail dispute.
The RMT has announced that 20,000 workers will go on strike.
So far, the dates affected will be July 20, 22 and 29.
The union accused train operators of failing to make a new pay offer to resolve the long-running dispute.
The RMT said that despite repeated statements that it was willing to enter further negotiations, neither the rail operators nor the Government have asked it to any meetings.
Mick Lynch claims that neither the government nor the TOCs have arranged a meeting with the union
The union boss said the latest wave of strike action will show just how important British railway staff are
READ MORE: The union Grinch holding Christmas to ‘ransom’: Firebrand RMT boss Mick Lynch who is paralysing Britain with crippling rail strikes earns £120,000-a-year total pay package and lives in London home worth nearly £1m
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry.
‘My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and govt.
‘Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution.
‘The Government continues to shackle the companies and will not allow them to put forward a package that can settle this dispute.
‘Our members have now voted three times to take strike action over the last 12 months – the most recent of which coincided with having the full details of the substandard offer from the rail operators.
‘They voted by 9-1 to renew their strike mandate and RMT will continue its industrial campaign until we reach a negotiated settlement on pay, working conditions and job security.’
Only yesterday, Mr Lynch spoke to The Independent saying that more walkouts were expected to be announced.
He also said that the recent ballot to continue industrial action was a referendum on the employer’s best and final offer.
The union boss said: ‘Our executive will meet again this week and I’m fairly certain they will put more strike action down.’
One of the disputes, involving Network Rail, has been settled but negotiations with train operators have apparently stalled.
It has been one year since the strikes were first announced.
They are the first set of national rail strikes since the 1980s.
The strikes will coincide with some of the summer’s biggest sporting events.
The Open Championship is taking place at Royal Liverpool from July 16-23, while the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford and the fifth Test at The Oval could also be disrupted.
In the most recent wave of RMT strikes, Eurovision and the FA Cup final were targeted.
According to the BBC, the latest pay offer from the Rail Delivery Group, which represents Train Operating Companies, was a backdated pay rise of 5 per cent for 2022.
But unions say that any pay offer should reflect the rising cost of living which is currently at 8.7 per cent.
It also comes hours after the Bank of England said higher pay awards were fuelling inflation.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow
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