TORY PM Truss threw down the gauntlet to the TUC at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons yesterday lunchtime, announcing: ‘We will crack down on the militant railway unions.’
She made the threat the day after the RMT rail union announced another round of rails strikes, which are to take place on 3rd, 5th and 7th November.
In his first question to Truss, Labour leader Starmer accused her of crashing the economy.
She responded with the claim that she has ‘delivered’ on the Energy Price Guarantee and the scrapping of the National Insurance hike.
Then she announced: ‘We are going to deliver to stop the militant trade unions disrupting our railways.’
She went on: ‘We are bringing forward policies that are going to make sure our railways are protected.
‘He backs the strikers, we back the strivers.’
She returned to the same anti-railway workers theme: ‘I have been taking steps and we will be taking steps to crack down on the militant unions.’
Returning to the theme again, Truss said: ‘We’re going to legislate to make sure we keep our railways open.’
And in answer to Starmer’s fifth question, as to why she was still prime minister after the economic and political crisis she has presided over, Truss replied: ‘I’m a fighter not a quitter. We are going to stop the militant trade unions from disrupting our railways.’
The RMT announced on Tuesday that it will take three days of coordinated strike action next month after Network Rail attempted to impose drastic changes in working practices on their staff.
Following intense negotiations with RMT, there was an agreement where the company would commit to an improved offer on pay and working towards a negotiated settlement.
However, in a dramatic U-turn, Network Rail bosses reneged on their promises of an improved pay offer and sought to impose job cuts, more unsocial hours and detrimental changes to rosters.
In a crass attempt to cut the union out of national negotiations, Network Rail has written directly to staff undermining delicate talks and has tried to rehash a previous deal that RMT has categorically rejected.
Strikes on Network Rail will now take place on November 3, 5 and 7.
In separate disputes on London Underground and Overground networks (Arriva Rail London), RMT members will take strike action on November 3.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘The dishonesty of Network Rail bosses has reached a new low in this national rail dispute.
‘On the one hand they were telling our negotiators that they were prepared to do a deal, while planning to torpedo negotiations by imposing unacceptable changes to our members’ terms and conditions.
‘Our members are livid with these duplicitous tactics, and they will now respond in kind with sustained strike action.’
