UK rail strikes raised at PMQs
The RMT union strike is the biggest walkout seen in the country for over 30 years, as more than 40,000 staff are directly protesting for an improvement to workers’ pay and conditions.
“RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and government policy,” Mick Lynch, secretary-general of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), said.
The union says members deserved recognition for “keeping the country moving” during the pandemic, and argues that they are fighting to protect their existing situation and minimise pay cuts caused by inflation.
Labour has so far generally argued that they don’t want the strikes to continue, but ultimately hold the government responsible for their occurrence.
Johnson argues that people should “stay the course” as improvements to the way railways are in the public’s interest. Moreover, railways were subsidised for £16bn during the pandemic, and as running costs stand at around £20bn and income from fares at £4bn, the union’s demands are not feasible.
Naturally, the ongoing issue was raised at PMQs on Wednesday, leading to angry clashes between Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson. Media opinion was equally divided.
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Watch the full exchange between Johnson and Starmer below.
