The UK could see a series of strikes over the next two months

The United Kingdom could see a series of strikes on the railways in the next two months if no agreement is reached, said the general secretary of the RMT union. Mick Lynch said: “Our campaign will run as long as it takes until we reach a settlement acceptable to our people. “Whenever we receive an offer that is valid, we will put it to our members in a referendum.” Asked if the strikes could last for months if no agreement was reached, Mr Leeds said: “I think it will, yes.” 1655737381

National Roads warn that roads will be “very busy”

The National Highways reported that highways and main roads are likely to be busy from Wednesday to Friday as people travel to the festival and again from Monday 27 June as they leave. John Ingram, an emergency planner for the south-west of England, said: busy. “Our goal is to keep the National Highway network up and running, while keeping festival-goers and other road users safe and informed.” 1655737041

The unions warn against the lifting of the ban on employees in agencies

The TUC and the Confederation of Recruitment and Employment (REC) have called on the government to abandon its “unimplemented” plan to lift the ban on agency workers filling vacancies during strikes. A joint statement from the TUC and the REC said the plan was “inapplicable” and opposed it on “the strongest terms”. The statement said: “The use of agency staff to cover the strikes will only prolong the conflict between employers and their staff. Strikes are industrial disputes within an industry or business. “The government should speed up and do the work of resolving industrial disputes instead of introducing a third party in the form of agency workers into a dispute. This does not resolve the underlying issues between the company and its staff. “This will prolong the conflict and spark tensions. Negotiations should be the obvious priority, rather than endangering the safety of the company’s employees “The proposal is not practical. There are currently 1.3 million vacancies in the UK, a record. “REC data show that the number of candidates available to fill roles has been declining at a record rate for months. “In this tight job market, agency workers are in high demand and can pick and choose the jobs they will take on. “The agency’s staff is very unlikely to choose a role that requires them to cross the picket line over someone who does not. “In addition, many roles that may be on strike require technical skills or training. Training employees in agencies to do these jobs would be costly and time consuming. “Only recently have government ministers come out to condemn what P&O Ferries did. Surely this example cannot be forgotten so soon? “ 1655736801

Pictured: RMT general secretary Mick Leeds outside his London office

Mick Leeds outside RMT’s London office / Rachael Burford RMT Secretary-General Mick Leeds said the union had rejected Network Rail wage increases below inflation. The industrial action, which begins at midnight, will be the largest transport strike in more than 30 years, with half of Britain’s railways closed. Network Rail staff and 13 other train companies will leave on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It coincides with the fourth strike across the network this year in the London Underground, which is expected to stop the capital. At a press conference outside RMT’s London office today, Mr Lynch said: . “Reducing the benefits that make staff work longer, up to 65 years old and making them poor in retirement, while paying increased contributions.” 1655735909

RMT confirms that the strike will take place

RMT confirmed that the strike action would proceed after accusing the government of “actively preventing a settlement of this dispute”. Secretary-General Mick Leeds said: “The RMT National Executive Committee has now found both sets of proposals unacceptable and it has now been confirmed that the strike action planned for this week will proceed. “It is clear that the Tory government, after cutting 4 4 billion in funding from the National Rail and Transport for London, has now actively prevented a settlement of this dispute. “Railway companies have now proposed wage rates that are well below the relevant inflation rates, in addition to the wage freeze of recent years. “At the behest of the government, companies are also seeking to implement thousands of job cuts and have not provided any guarantees against mandatory redundancies.” Mr Lynch added: “Faced with such an aggressive agenda of cuts in jobs, conditions, wages and pensions, RMT has no choice but to defend our members industrially to stop this race to the bottom. “Strikes on the Rail Network, train operators and the London Underground will continue, and we once again call on our members to stand firm, support the action, pick up pickets and show their willingness to fight for justice in the workplace. . “RMT supports the campaign for a square agreement for all employees in view of the cost of living crisis and our current campaign is part of this overall campaign which means that public services must be properly funded and all employees properly paid on good terms. ». 1655735250

Students said they had a “plan B” to get to school for exams amid railway strikes

Students and parents have been warned to have a “plan B” to get to school for their exams during the railway strikes. The massive labor action, which will lead tens of thousands of rail workers to leave for most of this week, will clash with some A-level and GCSE exams set for Tuesday and Thursday. The Ministry of Education said the exams are not expected to be rescheduled. The Rules of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations (Ofqual) and the Joint Council for Qualifications (JQC) – an association of major committees of inquiry in the UK – have stated that there are some exceptional measures for late arrivals. Pepe Diiasio, headmaster of Wales High School in Rotherham, said people had to have a “B plan in their back pocket” to go to school. Mr Diiasio said only a “limited number” of students were likely to be affected by the strikes as a whole, but that they would be “serious” about who they were. “If you have an exam this week, you just have a plan A and a plan B in your back pocket because it was already a difficult year for those taking the exam,” he said. “The last thing they want to worry about now is whether they will arrive on time or not.” 1655735188

The government makes it legal for employers to hire office staff to complement the striking workers. This will be done through the secondary law that will be submitted to Parliament later this week and is expected to enter into force in mid-July. The measure will repeal the regulation from 1973 which makes it illegal for employers to use agency staff especially during industrial disputes to do the work of strikers. There will be a vote in Parliament. Any employer – both public and private, from schools to councils to the NHS – will have the “flexibility” to bring in outside staff. 1655734857

Railroad strikes to move forward

Rail strikes are set to continue after recent talks failed to resolve a dispute over wages, jobs and conditions, the RMT union said. 1655734280

Grant Shapps says the problem is “between the union and the employers”

Grand Saps denied that it was the “problem” in relation to the railway strikes. The transport secretary told Sky News: “Real unions need to sit down with employers because this is a highly technical discussion around the 20 different areas of modernization required on the railways to ensure that the railways can continue to operate. “We have given 16 16 billion in taxpayer money through the coronavirus to make sure none of these railway workers lose their jobs. “So they have to work on it together between the union and the employers.” 1655734034

Railway strikes cause “utter misery” – Secretary of Transport

Transport Secretary Grand Saps said the strikes would cause “complete misery” to millions of people across the UK. He also criticized the Labor Party for its refusal to condemn industrial action. He told Sky News: “It is clear that Labor cannot condemn these strikes which will cause utter misery tomorrow and all week with people who can not go to work, hospital appointments, GCSE and A-exams. level. “