Union boss Mick Lynch warns of 'five more months' of strike misery next year
16 December 2022, 09:45 | Updated: 16 December 2022, 09:50
The boss of the UK’s biggest rail union has said train strikes could go on for another five months.
This week the railway networks in England have been thrown into chaos with trains cancelled and delayed due to ongoing strikes.
Network Rail have urged passengers to ‘only travel if absolutely necessary’.
The RMT unions are in a long running dispute with the government and rail companies about working conditions and pay.
Unions say any pay offer on the table to end the strikes needs to reflect the cost-of-living and rates of inflation – around 10%.
Mick Lynch recognises that the general public is 'suffering' because of RMT's strikes.
Network Rail made an offer of 5% pay rise this year and a 4% pay rise in 2023 but RMT Union boss Mick Lynch described the deal as ‘substandard’ and his members rejected it.
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Union members are also striking over the planned 1,900 job cuts to the train networks and changes to terms and conditions.
Strikes are taking place this week, today and tomorrow, as well as December 24, 26 and 27.
In the new year planned walk-outs will also take place on January 3, 4, 6 and 7.
Now Mr Lynch hasn’t ruled out more strikes throughout January.
Mick Lynch says there could be five more months of strike action.
In an interview this morning with LBC’s Nick Ferrari, he said: “There’s a further five months available to us after this.”
When questioned about whether the strikes could continue into January, he said: “Well, Nick, my job is to try and get a solution.
“I don’t sit there and say this dispute is going to last this long and this is what I want to do with it. We respond to the situation that we are in, how the talks are developing, how the situation is developing and the requirements of our members because we talk to our members about what they want to do all the way through this.
“So, we haven’t got an game or an end date or we want to stop this disruption on this date. What this action is providing is some mandate at the table and some leverage to get a result for our people and that’s what we’re seeking to do all the time. So I’m not planning any particular industrial action going forward.”
