After last-ditch talks failed to avert the biggest strikes in 30 years, Britain’s trains came to a standstill today.
Due to the largest rail strike in a generation, half of the rail network is closed and only a fifth of services are running, causing mayhem for train passengers.
Despite rail management offering workers a salary boost of at least 3% – the same amount awarded to NHS workers fighting the Covid-19 crisis last year – the militant RMT union has been accused of “punishing millions of innocent people” by continuing with the walkouts.
The train industry will also lose £150 million at a time when passenger numbers have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
The walkouts will obstruct millions of people trying to get to work, prevent patients from attending important medical appointments, and put unnecessary stress on students taking examinations.
They will last for months, according to Mick Lynch, the leader of the militant rail union RMT, who stated that the strike will extend ‘as long as it needs to carry on.’
Today, before of a Cabinet meeting, Boris Johnson will condemn the strikes. ‘The unions are harming the same people they claim to be assisting,’ he will remark.
‘By continuing with these train strikes, they are driving away commuters who, in turn, support rail workers’ jobs, as well as affecting companies and communities across the country.
‘Too high salary demands will also make it extremely difficult to address the current issues that families around the world are facing as a result of growing living costs.’
As Britons confront a summer of unrest, London Waterloo and Victoria railway stations were vacant this morning, and major London Underground stations had their shutters down.
Last-ditch negotiations failed to end the heated disagreement over salary, jobs, and working conditions, with all parties blaming one other for the lack of progress.
The majority of Scotland and Wales, as well as the whole of Cornwall and Dorset, as well as towns like Chester, Hull, Lincoln, and Worcester, will be without passenger trains for the whole day.
The majority of services will be limited to main lines, with only 20% of services functioning, and even those will only be available between 7.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.
On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators will go on strike.
Those operators who are not affected by the strike will nonetheless experience delays as a result of the strike by Network Rail signallers.
On Tuesday, London Underground workers will also strike.
Labour’s frontbenchers have been banned from picket lines, according to a memo leaked to Politics Home, and unions have responded angrily.
‘The Labour Party was formed by trade unions, and we expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions,’ Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, told the PA news agency.
Millions of people will be inconvenienced by this week’s strikes.
Pupils and parents are being encouraged to make other plans for traveling to school on Tuesday and Thursday for A-level and GCSE exams.
As train passengers move to road transportation, motorists should expect an increase in traffic.
The AA predicts that major highway arteries, as well as rural and suburban areas, will be the hardest hit.
Approximately half of the Great Western Railway trains scheduled to serve Castle Cary in Somerset, transporting festival goers to Glastonbury between Wednesday and Friday, have been canceled.
Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, claimed Network Rail has proposed a 2% wage increase, with the option of a further 1% depending on efficiency savings.
During Monday’s negotiations, he told BBC Newsnight that Network Rail had ‘escalated’ the disagreement, claiming: ‘They have issued me a letter saying that there would be redundancies starting July 1.’
‘Rather of trying to reach a resolution in this issue, they’ve exacerbated it by sending our Network Rail members formal notice of redundancy.’
‘It is apparent that the Tory Government, after slashing £4 billion from National Rail and Transport for London, has now actively prevented a conclusion to this issue,’ he said.
‘On top of the recent pay freezes, the rail firms have proposed pay rates that are much below the applicable inflation rates.’
‘At the government’s request, businesses are also attempting to undertake thousands of job losses and have failed to provide any assurances against involuntary redundancies.’
Mr Lynch’s claims were refuted by the Department of Transport, which stated that keeping the train running during the coronavirus outbreak cost taxpayers roughly £600 per household.
Frontbenchers in the Labour Party have been advised they are not allowed to join RMT members on the strike lines this week.
Despite criticism from union boss Mick Lynch that he is’standing to one side and waiting for someone to tell them what to do,’ Keir Starmer has neither condemned nor encouraged the walkouts.
Frontbenchers were reminded in a statement addressed to shadow cabinet members today, seen by PoliticsHome, that “we have robust lines.” We do not want these strikes to take place because of the public disturbance they will cause. The government has refused to engage in any kind of dialogue.
‘However, we must also demonstrate leadership, and frontbenchers, particularly [parliamentary private secretaries], should not be seen on picket lines.’
‘Please remind all of your team members of this, and then confirm with me that you have done so.’
Left-wing Labour MPs, on the other hand, have pledged’solidarity’ with the RMT, with some even announcing that they will join rail workers on the picket lines.
‘I will be on an RMT picket tomorrow to demonstrate my sympathy with workers fighting for jobs and fair pay,’ Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry, confirmed her attendance on Monday evening via Twitter.
In a statement on Twitter, Mary Kelly Foy, MP for City of Durham, also stated that she will be attending a demonstration.
‘I stand with RMT and other employees striking for better pay and working conditions,’ she wrote. This week, I’ll be joining employees on the picket line.’