The transport secretary was accused of “advocating fire-and-rehire” tactics after he warned that the changes sought by rail companies could be imposed on workers.
Grant Shapps told Sky News on Friday that he could enact legislation referred to as a “section 188” to force through some of the measures at the heart of the current strikes.
“If we can’t get this settled in the way that we are proposing, which is [asking unions], ‘Please put the deal to your membership,’ then we will have to move to what is called a section 188; it is a process of actually requiring these changes to go into place so it becomes mandated,” he said.
“That is the direction that this is moving in now.”
But union leaders said Shapps – who could lose his job in a reshuffle when the new Tory leader takes office – was “desperate” and “out of touch” on a further day of travel disruption.
Manuel Cortes, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) general secretary, said: “This is yet more desperate stuff from Shapps intended to distract from the real issues in the rail dispute. He’s now actively advocating fire and rehire.
“Grant Shapps is touring TV studios spouting anti-worker nonsense when it’s actually within his gift as transport secretary to resolve this dispute. At every turn, his actions ramp up the dispute and make it harder to get a resolution.”
The TSSA said section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act is a duty requiring employers to consult trade union representatives, not a mechanism for imposing unilateral change.
On Friday, Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) workers took strike action over issues including jobs and pensions, halting most tube services in London.
There was also disruption to bus services in west and south-west London and parts of Surrey. This was the result of a strike on Friday and Saturday by London bus drivers who are members of Unite, in a separate dispute over pay.
The RMT’s general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Mr Shapps has no authority to issue section 188 notifications as he is not the legal employer, but now seems intent on forcing through fire and rehire on rail workers despite previously claiming that he had nothing to do with negotiations between the employers and the unions.”
He added: “The minister also appears to be increasingly desperate and out of touch, making wild claims about train services between London and Manchester without having a clue what is actually happening.”
Lynch’s comments refer to Shapps overstating the number of trains running between Manchester and London on BBC Breakfast.
Shapps said: “You incorrectly told your viewers there is only one train running from Manchester to London. That is not the case even under the reduced timetable – it is four trains an hour.”
Analysis of train timetables by the Press Association showed one train an hour scheduled in each direction between Manchester and London until 10 September.
The shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said Shapps did not “have the first idea how bad the disruption he signed off on is”, and called him “clueless”.
The Department for Transport claimed Shapps was referring to the total frequency of trains run by Avanti West Coast, which since 14 August has been cut to four an hour in each direction for all locations to and from London, including Manchester.
