Rail strikes won't stop 'until we get an agreement', says Mick Lynch
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch says he cannot say when strikes will end until the ongoing dispute over pay and conditions is resolved.
Rail strikes across the UK won't stop until workers are offered an acceptable deal, the RMT union's leader has warned.
Mick Lynch said members "want to get an agreement as quickly as possible", adding that it takes "two parties" to achieve this.
Standing with striking workers outside Paddington station today, the RMT general secretary said: "We've got a mandate for another five months - our members have voted to continue the campaign.
"We will continue the campaign until we get an agreement. We want to get an agreement as quickly as possible.
"We're available for those discussions and negotiations, if they want to get us in the room, we can settle this as quickly as possible, but I can't put a date on the termination of this dispute because it's not resolved."
Railway workers began a 48-hour strike yesterday amid a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions, causing significant disruption to travellers right before the Christmas break.
On December 12, the RMT announced that 63.6% of members (of an 83% turnout) had voted to reject the most recent pay offer from Network Rail.
The latest offer on the table a 5% pay rise this year, and a 4% pay rise in 2023, with no compulsory redundancies until 2025 and no changes to employees' terms and conditions.
However, with inflation now at 10.7%, while pay has failed to keep up with the rising cost of living for some time, the RMT say the current offer isn't good enough.
A two-day strike by bus drivers in London continues on Saturday, adding to the travel chaos. Members of Unite employed by Abellio are taking action over pay.With pay failing to keep up with soaring inflation, a wave of industrial action has been planned throughout the public sector throughout the month.
On Thursday, around 100,000 nurses took to picket lines around the UK in what has become the biggest ever strike in the history of the NHS, with another nursing strike planned for Tuesday.
However, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen has said the government is willing to discuss "anything but pay".
She criticised the 4% offer made by ministers as "really short of what our nurses require and deserve".
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