PM hits out at RMT workers striking on Avanti trains this Christmas
The prime minister has urged striking RMT workers to "rethink" planned industrial action on the Avanti West Coast line during the Christmas period.
Responding to the news of the strike on Wednesday, Downing Street said: "The public will be rightly disappointed in that action. The last thing people want to see over the Christmas period is disruption to trains."
A spokesperson for Sir Keir Starmer urged the RMT union to "rethink" planned strike action on December 22, 23 and 29.
The plans to walk out are part of a strike over rest day working.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “Avanti West Coast’s proposals have been decisively rejected by our train managers, sending a clear message to management that the current arrangements are unacceptable.
“Train managers are being treated unfairly compared to senior managers, who receive significant payments for covering these roles.
“Our members have had enough, and this strike action demonstrates their determination to win a fair deal.
It is understood Avanti services will be extremely limited on the days of the strikes and a revised timetable will be issued from December 14.
Customers who have tickets for December 22 and 23 will be able to use them on alternative services between December 16 and December 24, while those with tickets for December 29 will be able to use them on alternative services between December 28 and January 3.
Other unions raised the alarm on Tuesday after the government revealed pay for public sector workers will rise by 2.8% - which they say is too low.
Unions reacted angrily to the recommendations, with some hinting they could launch further industrial action unless negotiations take place.
The Royal College of Nursing’s general secretary and chief executive called for “open, direct talks” to avoid “further escalation to disputes and ballots”.
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The British Medical Association said the Government showed a “poor grasp” of unresolved issues from two years of industrial action, while the National Education Union’s chief said teachers were “putting the Government on notice” that the proposed increase “won’t do”.
In September, RMT members accepted a pay rise of 4.75% for the last financial year, and a 4.5% increase for this year.
An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: “At one of our busiest and most important times of the year when our customers should be making journeys to visit family or friends during the holiday period, they will now face significant disruption because of these strikes.
“We are disappointed RMT have voted to decline the very reasonable offer made to them to resolve the Rest Day Working dispute and prevent inconvenience to those many people who will be travelling on the West Coast Main Line over this time. We will continue to work with the RMT to resolve the dispute.”
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