Ministers ‘sabotaged’ a deal to end the rail strike as they want it to continue, a union chief claims.
‘They want this image going on over Christmas that somehow organised working people are the enemy of this country,’ said RMT boss Mick Lynch.
Rail operators were to drop demands for driver-only operations – with no guards on trains – but were told to withdraw the deal at the last minute, said Mr Lynch. His union has been opposed to driver-only trains for 40 years and will ‘never accept it’, he added.
Ministers accuse rail workers of holding the country to ransom by threatening to strike over the festive period. But Mr Lynch told Sky News: ‘They’ve been making noises they’re facilitators, but they sabotaged negotiations as they were reaching a conclusion.’
Meanwhile, home secretary Suella Braverman said eight days of walkouts by Border Force staff from December 23 will seriously disrupt holidaymakers’ festive getaway plans.
It came as teachers in England were balloted over strike action in the new year. TUC leader Kate Bell said walkouts were likely as teachers’ pay had been ‘held down for a decade’.
But education secretary Gillian Keegan said No.10 will resist public sector workers’ pay demands.
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