London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 09, 2025

Christmas rail strikes still on after RMT meeting with Government

Christmas rail strikes still on after RMT meeting with Government

Train strikes around Christmas will not be called off until a solid settlement has been reached with rail companies, union boss Mick Lynch insisted on Thursday.
Mr Lynch met with the new Transport Secretary Mark Harper on Thursday morning.

He said the minister agreed to put in writing the ways the Government believes the RMT's dispute with rail operators can take “steps towards a resolution”.

Mr Harper also told the RMT he will “consider” setting up a liaison group at ministerial level so the rail industry and trade unions can speak with them about how a settlement can be agreed.

But the upcoming strikes will not be called off until union members have assurances over pay, working conditions and jobs, Mr Lynch said.

Staff across Network Rail and 14 train operating companies are due to walk out on December 13, 14, 16 and 17. Further strikes are planned on January 3, 4, 6 and 7.

There will also be an overtime ban across the railways from 18 December until 2 January, meaning staff will not work on rest days over the Christmas period.

This is likely to reduce services on non-strike days as well, badly affecting those travelling over the festive period.

Speaking outside the Department of Transport offices in Westminster, Mr Lynch said: “If we call off the strikes we will never get a settlement.

“We have not called a strike for seven weeks and nothing has happened.

“Anyone that’s been involved in industrial relations knows that there’s got to be leverage and pressure at the table from both sides.”

He added: "We called the strikes off two weeks ago, we gave a two-week period - where we were told we would get a tangible outcome, we would get commitments and proposals. We've got none of that.

"So, once bitten, twice shy, in that sense."

However he added that the meeting with Mr Harper, who has been in the job a month, was “positive” because they had “got rid of the bellicose monsters that we used to have”.

“We’re now starting to get a dialogue,” Mr Lynch said.

“We’ve said to him that there’s no good having these warm words.

"We’ve heard them from his predecessor, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, but nothing actually happened. So we want him to set down in writing what he’s going to do about the mechanics of how a resolution will be facilitated.”

Mr Lynch added that believes the Department for Transport is being constrained by the Treasury in the rail dispute.

"We think their problem is that the Treasury is pulling their chain, and they're not independent actors," he said.

"Now they've got to assert themselves as an independent department and get to grips with the crisis that's been created in our industry."

In a statement, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "This morning I had a constructive meeting with Mick Lynch, where we had an open and honest conversation about the serious challenges facing the railways.

"We have common ground - we both want the dispute to end and we both want a thriving railway which delivers for passengers and workers alike. To achieve this, though, we need to work together, across the entire industry, to ensure our railway industry thrives.

"There is a deal to be done and I believe we will get there - I want to facilitate the RMT and the employers to reach an agreement, and end the dispute for the benefit of the travelling public."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×