'We have to have leverage': Mick Lynch defends RMT's Christmas period rail strikes

Deadlock over a deal for rail workers and nurses continues as strikes bring disruption across the UK, Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen reports

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch has defended the escalating rail strikes by saying the disruption caused by industrial action gives his union leverage in negotiations over pay and working conditions.

It comes as members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers - the UK's biggest rail union - began their latest walkout at midnight, which will last 48 hours, with only one in five trains scheduled to run on Friday and Saturday.

"The strikes are about the timing," the union leader told ITV News when asked about some members of the public questioning why the strikes are occurring in the run up to Christmas.

"The companies want to move forward with their changes. They started the next phase of their implementation yesterday, Network Rail," he said from a picket line near Euston station on Friday morning.

RMT boss Mick Lynch said that negotiations have stalled as there has to be goodwill on all sides

"We have to have leverage at the talks. That is what industrial dispute is all about and that is why you take action, to give yourself a position at the negotiating table."

His comments came a day after talks between the leader of the RMT union, train company employers and Rail Minister Huw Merriman failed to make a breakthrough.

Mr Lynch said the minister requested further talks between the RMT and the employers in order to find resolutions.

Mr Merriman argued that there is “clearly an appetite amongst the workers themselves to strike a deal” after the TSSA union accepted a pay offer from Network Rail.

Mr Lynch, however, said talks are stalling because the train companies haven't moved from their positions that the RMT has already rejected.

He told ITV News that he wants to hear movement on key issues, including pay, working conditions and driver-only operations, which he opposes.

Mr Lynch went on to say that, despite the industrial action, he hopes people can see their families for Christmas, insisting the railway will still be running between Saturday and Christmas Eve.

"There is a lot of disruption on the railway anyway because the companies don't seem to be able to run the railway as they are supposed to do," he added.

"That is on days when there are not strikes, there is plenty of disruption."

Striking a more positive tone, he told Sky News there were “no new proposals on the table” but said there were “soundings-out” of possible solutions ahead of the further talks with rail bosses.

Passengers are being urged to only travel if necessary as the latest rail stoppage will hit 14 companies and Network Rail. Services will start later and finish earlier, with some areas having no trains.

As the latest rail strikes cripple services across the country, ministers have been warned that industrial action by NHS nurses could escalate unless pay concerns were addressed.

The walkout follows two days of RMT strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday and is the latest strike in a winter of woe for the government, which is being blamed for a series of industrial disputes.

On Thursday nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland went on strike in the Royal College of Nursing’s first national action.

RCN leader Pat Cullen warned that action by nurses would escalate unless ministers were prepared to get around the table and negotiate in the dispute over pay and conditions.

The RCN has argued that low wages are driving “chronic understaffing” which puts patients at risk and leaves nurses overworked, underpaid and undervalued, but ministers have refused to discuss salaries, insisting that should be left to independent pay review bodies.

Thursday’s action involved about a quarter of hospitals and community teams in England and the RCN warned it could go further if the government continues to hold out.

Wes Streeting has said Labour would be willing to look again at the pay review body process, given unions’ concerns. In a Q&A after his speech to the Policy Exchange think tank, the shadow health secretary said: “The unions I think have expressed some concerns about how the pay review body works. “And we’ve said we would be willing to look at those concerns as part of a wider negotiation to avoid strike action. And I think the Government should take up that challenge.” He added: “I think that might have been an idea to go back to the pay review body for a fresh set of recommendations perhaps when the RCN first balloted for strike action in the summer. “I think at this late stage, the fastest, most effective thing the government could do, would be to engage in direct face-to-face negotiations with the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and others on pay. That would immediately suspend strike action as the unions have promised to do.”

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