Rail strikes: RMT union chief criticises government response

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Rail union RMT announced the strike action yesterday after claiming railway workers have been treated badly in pay negotiations. Strike action will take place on June 21, 23 and 25 when 40,000 workers walk out.

In total, 13 railway operators will be affected, leading to disruptions across the network.

RMT hit out at Network Rail and train operating companies for freezing staff pay and cutting jobs.

The union’s general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Railway workers have been treated appallingly and despite our best efforts in negotiations, the rail industry with the support of the government has failed to take their concerns seriously.

“We have a cost-of-living crisis, and it is unacceptable for railway workers to either lose their jobs or face another year of a pay freeze when inflation is at 11.1 per cent and rising.”

He added: “Our union will now embark on a sustained campaign of industrial action which will shut down the railway system.”

Thameslink confirmed it expects significant reductions to all Govia Thameslink Railway services during the strike.

That includes Thameslink lines as well as those operated by Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express.

But the full impact of the strike action is not yet known due to the complexity of the railway system.

Thameslink depends on signallers and engineers from Network Rail to keep its trains running.

Staff at Govia Thameslink Railway did not vote to take part in strike action and instead voted for action just short of strike, such as not doing overtime.

However, workers striking across the railway infrastructure at train stations and services managed by other operators will also affect Thameslink lines.

Angie Doll, chief operating officer at Govia Thameslink Railway, urged striking workers and train operators to resolve the matter quickly.

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She said: “We are extremely disappointed that passengers across the country now face the anxiety of rail disruption just as we are starting to recover from the pandemic.”

Railway staff taking part in the strike include drivers, guards and catering staff alongside signallers and track maintenance workers.

The strike action is expected to cause widespread disruption to passengers’ summer travel plans across the country.

London Underground RMT workers are planning to strike on June 21 as part of a separate dispute.

Thameslink is one of the busiest railway networks in the country and serves billions of journeys each year.

It runs 24-hours and operates across 115 stations from Bedford to Brighton and central London.

Network Rail is currently planning to cut 2,500 jobs in the next two years to make a saving of £2 billion.

RMT urged operators and the Government to come back with new proposals over pay to avoid further disruption.

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