London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Rail unions told: Let London get back to work by calling off strikes hitting the city

Rail unions told: Let London get back to work by calling off strikes hitting the city

Rail chief offers hope as he says partial deal is within ‘touching distance’

Rail unions were urged on Tuesday to let London “get back to work” by calling off a wave of strikes crippling the transport network.

Hundreds of thousands of people across the country were having to work from home after the Christmas break as so few trains were running. Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, told the Standard: “These strikes are unjustified and deeply irresponsible. The unions should call off their industrial action right now so that our capital city can get back to work.”

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at Network Rail and 14 train operators were staging two 48-hour walkouts from Tuesday and Friday, while drivers in the Aslef union will strike on Thursday.

At Euston station this morning, William Tulley, 58, said: “I’m not anti-strike but the country cannot continue like this. It’s certainly a bleak start to the new year.”

Student Aisha Bhati, 26, added: “I need to get to college. I’m training to work in the NHS so that I can do something worthwhile and these (rail) strikes are making life more difficult.”

But Mayor of London Sadiq Khan turned the spotlight firmly onto the Government, with Britain also being hit by walkouts by nurses, postal workers, civil servants and other public sector workers.


RMT chief Mick Lynch (left) with the Standard’s John Dunne

On the rail strike, he stated: “Strikes are always a sign of failure and the Government has let this dispute run on for far too long. Workers deserve fair pay and conditions, and it’s about time ministers began being competent and negotiated to put an end to this disruption for the good of our city and country.”

Amid the commuting misery, there was a glimmer of hope after Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator, said a deal to stop the strikes was in “touching distance”.

He argued that the last time the RMT consulted its members on the walkouts it was “rushed” and that some of them wanted clarification of the deal on offer.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We want to make sure that we can work with the RMT now to make clarifications where there’s been misunderstanding and put the deal out again. We only need 2,000 people who voted No last time to change their vote and the deal will pass. So, we think that’s within touching distance.”

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at Network Rail and 14 train operators were staging two 48-hour walkouts from Tuesday


But RMT general secretary Mick Lynch and Transport Secretary Mark Harper were giving no signs that a breakthrough was imminent, despite talks set to restart next week.

In an ongoing war of words, Mr Harper said the rail unions should get “off the picket line and round the negotiating table” to end the train chaos.

“There is a very fair pay offer on the table which has been accepted by two of the trade unions on Network Rail,” he added, referring to the proposal of four per cent one year and five the next, with extra payments for lower-paid staff. He refused to say that train companies could improve their pay offer without the approval of Government, but stressed: “There is not a bottomless pit of taxpayers’ money here.” However, Mr Lynch said the union was available and eager to negotiate throughout the Christmas period but the other side has been “enjoying the holidays” instead of engaging in talks.

“I’ll come and meet the Transport Secretary whenever he wishes to — I could meet him in 20 minutes,” he said, speaking outside Euston station, though ministers insist the detailed talks should be between rail bosses and unions. He suggested ministers had “torpedoed” an agreement in December. Mr Lynch also threatened that strikes could go for many more months. “We’ve got a mandate that runs through to May this year, and if we have to go further, that’s what we’ll need to do. We don’t want that, though,” he said.

There were widespread closures across the rail network on Tuesday, including no Elizabeth line trains between Paddington and Heathrow and between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. The London Overground suffered part-closures after services started late. Last trains were due to depart by 6.30pm.

Network Rail advised passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary for the rest of the week. On RMT strike days, around half of the network will shut down, with only about 20 per cent of normal services running.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×