RMT calls on Prime Minister to end "the sabotage of rail strike talks"

Rail Union RMT

Rail union RMT has written to Prime Minister Teresa May calling on her to end "the Government sabotage of rail strike talks".

In a letter to the Prime Minister, RMT General Secretary Mick Cash says: “I am now becoming increasingly alarmed that you are sabotaging deals with the RMT on Southern, Northern and Anglia Trains and also South Western Railway.

“I do not say this lightly as a number of train operating companies are privately indicating to me that that it is the government that are preventing the deals that in normal circumstances they would be able to make with the RMT.

“My concerns that you are sabotaging deals from being made are reinforced by the fact that not long before your became Prime Minister the Southern dispute was in its infancy and entirely resolvable while three companies, Transpennine Express, East Coast and Great Western all in fact made acceptable proposals that would allow for the introduction of new modern trains, whilst at the same time retaining the Guard. Yet since you became Prime Minister you have prevented similar offers being made by other rail companies

“I would also point out that my union has been able to reach agreement on new trains and keeping the Guard on Scottish rail services, assisted by the involvement of the Scottish Government and also on Welsh rail services assisted by the Welsh Government. The fact that we can reach agreements with the Scottish and Welsh governments but not your government only reinforces my concern that you are sabotaging deals and in doing so putting anti- union politics before passengers.

“It is clear that there has been a co-ordinated blockade of the normal talks process with the rail companies in England since Theresa May became Prime Minister and that is stopping us from reaching the kind of negotiated settlements we were striking before she entered Downing Street and which we have been able to agree in both Scotland and Wales.

“It is also clear that some of the rail companies themselves are frustrated at being used as political pawns and are being given a centralised script to read out to us in meetings. That points to politically motivated sabotage of the normal industrial relations machinery and RMT believes that it is being orchestrated right from the very top.

“The action that is disrupting rail services this morning has been forced upon us by a Government which appears to be hell bent on confrontation. My call to the Prime Minister is simply – call off the blockade on talks, end the centralised sabotage of the normal industrial relations process and let us get back into genuine negotiations with the private rail companies that allow us to resolve these disputes.”