Sadiq Khan claims Government ‘provoking’ unions into strikes & More Latest News Here – Up Jobs

Grant Shapps branded “clueless” over rail disruption

Grant Shapps has been accused of being “clueless” about rail disruption after overstating the number of trains running between Manchester and London.

Mr Shapps insisted that is incorrect and there are four services an hour, before later telling the programme there is one an hour on “strike days” caused by “unofficial” industrial action.

Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said Mr Shapps does not “have the first idea how bad the disruption he signed-off on is”, branding him “clueless”.

Analysis of train timetables by the PA news agency shows one train per hour is scheduled in each direction between Manchester and London until September 10.

As BBC Breakfast’s Charlie Stayt questioned Mr Shapps, he mentioned the current frequency of services.

Mr Shapps replied: “You incorrectly told your viewers there is only one train running from Manchester to London. That is not the case even under the reduced timetable, it is four trains an hour.”

Great Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham wrote on Twitter: “I can’t believe I’m watching this.

“What hope do we have when the Transport Secretary doesn’t know the details of the reduced timetable he signed off?”

The Department for Transport later clarified that Mr Shapps was referring to the total frequency of trains run by Avanti West Coast, which since August 14 has been cut to four per hour in each direction for all locations to and from London, including Manchester.

Signalling failure at Kentish Town

Away from the strike action in the capital, Thameslink has reported a signalling failure at Kentish Town today.

Latest pictures as Londoners face travel chaos

Mick Lynch ‘sorry’ for travel disruption

RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch has apologised to commuters for the travel disruption but insisted strike action was necessary to defend the union’s members.

He said: “We’re very sorry that people are inconvenienced. I mean, we’re inconveniencing people that are in the same boat as us. We’re ordinary men and women that want to do our jobs and provide a service, but when you’re being cut to pieces by an employer, and by the Government, you’ve got to make a stand.

“So we’re making that stand on behalf of our members, but many other workers in Britain are suffering some very similar things and you’re going to see a wave of this type of action. We can’t stand by and watch our conditions be chopped up. Otherwise, it’ll just be a race to the bottom for all British workers.

“If we’re not showing them that we’re being serious, they will just chop up members terms and conditions and their pensions. If we’re not invited to negotiations, what other means can we have to influence those negotiations?

“So we’ve got to show them that we’re deadly serious about the future of the services across all of TfL, but also across our members’ conditions, because we don’t know what they’re discussing.

“It’s like being locked out of a process that we should rightly be at the table, and that’s not acceptable to any of the unions, or London Underground or TfL. And it’s got to be resolved.”

Sadiq Khan concerned Government is trying to ‘provoke’ unions

London mayor, Sadiq Khan has admittd his concern that the Government may be “deliberately provoking” the unions into strike action.

“I’m concerned that the government is almost deliberately provoking industrial action in London”, Mr Khan said in an interview with Sky News on Friday morning.

Seperately, he told the Press Association: “The way the Government is behaving, it’s almost like they’re deliberately provoking strikes across the country, not just in the transport sector but in other sectors, as a precursor for legislation to curtail the rights of trade unions to go on strike.”

Mr Khan said he and the striking RMT union were “on the same side here, nobody wants the Government to be attaching unreasonable conditions to our deal”.

He said: “I’m keen to make sure we get the best possible deal for TfL (Transport for London) because we won’t get a national recovery without a London recovery.

“We simply will not get a London recovery unless TfL fires on all cylinders. What we don’t want are unreasonable draconian strings attached by the Government.”

Mr Khan added: “Today it’s ordinary Londoners, commuters and businesses who are caught in the crossfire – the Government and Grant Shapps aren’t affected at all.”

Liz Truss: I will crack down on strikes

RMT representative explains why the union is striking

Speaking to the Standard’s, Ross Lydall, the RMT’s Bakerloo representative, Daniel Randall has explained the reasons behind the strike action.

Talking from outside a closed Oxford Circus station, he claimed the dispute with the Government and TfL will last for as long as needed until they get “a settlement which we find satisfactory”.

Londoners hit out at latest strike

Some commuters have hit out at what they termed, the “selfish” unions for inflicting strikes on people trying to get to work who can’t afford to work from home or take taxis.

Construction worker Ayrton Lambird was trying to get into the capital from Kent.

He told the Standard: “Unions are only trying to help those currently working. We are all in the same shoes, all affected, all looking for pay increases.

“What makes you laugh is all the time they are doing strikes, those train staff wanting pay increase, do not get paid.”

Barista Davide Morratti, 21, was stuck at a closed Finsbury Park station after he forgot the strikes were on.

“It’s horrible”, he said.

“I think the unions are being quite selfish. I could just about afford to take a taxi but it would be about half my wage so it would be burning money. I just hope my boss understands.”

TfL responds to ‘secret negotiations’ claims from the RMT

In response to RMT claims that Transport for London (TfL) is having secret negotiations with the Government about cutting jobs and pensions, TfL’s Nick Dent said the transport body has been working with ministers “all the way through the pandemic to try to secure a long-term funding settlement for London”.

The director of customer operations told Sky News: “We of course conduct those negotiations confidentially. They are market-sensitive. We’ve explained that very clearly to the trade unions.

“But we have been working with all of the trade unions, including the RMT, we’ve been very open and transparent about the impact of the pandemic on our finances all the way through the last couple of years. We’ve assured them that we’ll continue to keep them updated.

“But, importantly, we have assured them that there are no proposals currently to change the TfL pension scheme, and if there were proposals in the future, then of course they will be consulted in detail.

“They’ll be involved very closely.”

More pictures from today’s strike