The RMT union says there is unlikely to be a breakthrough in discussions to reach a deal that would call off a huge rail strike next week. RMT members working for 13 operators and Network Rail are set to walk out on Tuesday June 21, Thursday June 23 and Saturday June 25. The union says it will be the biggest strike on the rail network since 1989.
The RMT offered to hold discussions with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, but that has been refused. The Department for Transport said the union must negotiate with rail and train employers, not the Government.RMT Assistant General Secretary Eddie Dempsey accused the Government of "pouring petrol on the fire" and using the dispute as a "political football" following a debate in the House of Commons.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Mr Dempsey was then asked why he does not call the strike off, if he thinks the Government is using the dispute for political gain.
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Mr Dempsey, who said opposing compulsory redundancies is one of the main factors in the union striking, said: "Well, we've asked them [the Government] to come to the table, more than once, we've been speaking to the industry now, for two years, we've made numerous requests for them to come and speak to us, but they've never taken us up on that offer. They were even asked in Parliament, yesterday if they would do so, and they refused.
"Now look, you've got to appreciate, RMT members will not meekly join the dole queues in order to protect the private properties of companies who've been ripping this country off, for 30 years. We will not do that. We need to get our members a decent pay rise, a protection for their jobs and we need to make sure that reform in the industry is done in a fair and just way. And that is what we're going to set out to do."
Boris Johnson wants the rail strikes to go ahead so he can “feed on the division”, according to Sir Keir Starmer. The Labour leader said he opposes the industrial action, which was described as "Labour's rail strikes" by the Prime Minister.
The Labour leader insisted he does not want the RMT strike to go ahead, after questioning from the Prime Minister.
Speaking at PMQs, Mr Johnson told Sir Keir: “He has the chance now to clear it up: he can oppose Labour’s rail strikes right now, he can disagree, I give him that opportunity, let him disagree with the union barons who would add to people’s costs in the coming weeks.”
Sir Keir countered: “I don’t want the strikes to go ahead. He does so he can feed on the division.”
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Labour MP Liz Twist (Blaydon) later said: “On the eve of the biggest rail dispute in a generation, it’s emerged ministers have not held any talks whatsoever since March.
“So I ask the Prime Minister: has he met with trade unions and employers in the rail industry to attempt to bring this dispute to an end, yes or no?”
Mr Johnson replied: “I noticed one union baron was asked about it and he said ‘I don’t negotiate with a Tory Government’ is what he said, that’s what they said.
“We all know how much money the Labour frontbench takes from the RMT, we know why they’re sitting on their hands during Labour’s rail strikes. They should come out and condemn it.”
The clashes came ahead of a three-hour Commons debate on the strikes.
The Government’s motion condemning the three-day strike and calling on the rail unions to “reconsider their strike action and continue discussions with the industry” was approved by 293 votes to 15, majority 278. The division list showed 13 Labour MPs voted against the motion, including former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and one-time leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey.
A Labour amendment to the motion stating they did not want the national rail strikes to go ahead but calling on the Government, operators, Network Rail and the union to get around the table and resolve the issues was defeated by 286 votes to 174, majority 112.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Commons: “These discussions were under way when suddenly the union decided it would ballot its members, telling them, incorrectly, that it was to get them off a pay freeze.
“The pay freeze, which was across all of the public sector, nearly every part experienced a pay freeze, was in any case coming to an end. These are entirely pointless, counterproductive strikes. They should never have been called and the party opposite should recognise that fact.”
But shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh highlighted the move by P&O Ferries to replace 800 seafarers with agency staff. She compared it to proposals from Mr Shapps to consider letting agency workers cover for striking rail staff.
Ms Haigh said: “The reality is he’s acting directly from P&O’s playbook – the only difference is he wants to make it legal.”
She also told the debate: “The public will not forgive the Government next week when children are missing their school exams, when patients are missing their health appointments in the face of the biggest backlog in NHS history, and when low-paid workers can’t get to work, if they haven’t lifted a finger to resolve this dispute.
“What the public need now is a firefighter, instead they’ve got a bunch of arsonists.”
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