RMT’s Mick Lynch insists rail strikes ‘have been a hit’ regardless of lack of pay deal after nearly a yr

The boss of Britain’s greatest rail employees union has insisted strikes have been a “success” – regardless of no pay deal being agreed but after nearly a yr of business motion.

Mick Lynch, basic secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, stated the rail strikes – which started in June 2022 – had managed to forestall bosses from pushing by way of redundancies and controversial reforms akin to mass ticket workplace closures.

He additionally claimed an additional success was the inspiration his union had offered to employees in different sectors.

Mr Lynch was talking amid widespread disruption on Friday after round 20,000 employees, together with guards and rail managers at 14 companies, walked out as soon as once more over pay and circumstances.

Read extra:
Train strikes: Which providers can be affected this week?

A walkout by practice drivers’ union ASLEF was additionally held on Wednesday, with extra motion deliberate this weekend, as a part of the continued rows between the federal government and the unions.

Saturday’s walkout by ASLEF members will have an effect on folks travelling to the FA Cup closing at Wembley, the Epsom Derby in Surrey, the England v Ireland check match at Lord’s, and Beyonce’s Renaissance tour date on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mr Lynch, talking from a picket line at London’s Euston station, stated practice firms have been in charge for the disruption and added strikes could be known as off as quickly as a “fair” deal was agreed.

But he stated the motion had already achieved outcomes, as railway companies “haven’t been able to implement any of their plans”.

He stated: “We’ve pushed them [rail bosses] back on all the stuff they wanted to do – they wanted to make thousands of our people redundant, they wanted to shut every booking office in Britain, restructure our engineering workers, [and] cut the catering service.

“What we’ve not acquired is a pay deal, we’ve not acquired any ensures on our members’ futures, however we’ve got stopped them doing the worst facets of their proposals and their concepts.”

Mr Lynch added: “It has been a success, our members are still with us, they’ve had three ballots to continue with the strike action under the law.

“Other folks appear to have been impressed to combat again and take motion in their very own industries, so it has been a hit and it is put commerce unions again on the map in Britain.”

The RMT and ASLEF have rejected pay offers put forward by the government so far this year, on the grounds that proposed terms on conditions and pay were not good enough, especially amid ongoing high inflation.

But some other disputes have been resolved, including a separate row involving RMT workers at Network Rail, after members voted to just accept a revised pay supply in March.

Read extra:
Train strike motion ‘stable’ and can proceed, says RMT
Number of days misplaced to strike motion in 2022 highest since 1989
Health Secretary Steve Barclay rules out new pay offer for nurses

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the UK’s train service providers, hit back at the RMT’s claims and said “commonsense” reforms were “lengthy overdue”.

They said: “There have been three pay offers provided which the RMT govt have reneged regardless of their negotiators within the room agreeing the phrases.

“We’ve said all along we just want railway workers to have their say on the fair and affordable offer of up to a 13% rise over two years, plus guarantees on job security.”

The RDG added: “The only thing they [the RMT] have achieved is continuing to take money out of their members’ pockets, inflicting misery on thousands of people and damaging an industry which is vital to Britain’s economy and their own members’ livelihoods.”