James O'Brien 10am - 1pm
James O'Brien reveals 'nastiest' argument he hears on industrial action by rail workers
17 June 2022, 11:27 | Updated: 17 June 2022, 17:06
James O'Brien reveals 'nastiest' argument he hears concerning rail workers taking industrial action
James O'Brien has revealed the "nastiest argument" he hears when it comes to rail workers taking industrial action.
James' words have come as Britain is next week set to be hit with its biggest national rail strikes in more than 30 years.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are walking out because of disputes over pay,
The union is demanding that workers receive a pay rise which keeps pace with inflation, to prevent workers effectively getting a pay cut.
James said: "I broadly lean towards support for the RMT for one very simple reason.
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"Their workers, almost uniquely it would sometimes seem among the workforce of the United Kingdom, enjoy the sort of terms and conditions that everybody should enjoy.
"I think the nastiest argument I hear in the context of rail workers taking industrial action is people complaining that they earn more than nurses without realising that that is a damning indictment of how little nurses earn [and] not a zinging critique of how much railway workers earn."
James went on to also say that it's "popular" in the "unthinking Rupert Murdoch-flavoured corners of the British media" to "pretend that this is all about train drivers".
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about next week's rail strikes