September 5th - New prime minister, more rail strikes
Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
The Independent
3.6 • 628 Ratings
🗓️ 5 September 2022
⏱️ 7 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It’s back to work, college or school for millions today – and, with the squeeze eased on the transport system, I should be looking forward to an autumn full of travel opportunities. But another series of rail strikes have been announced for September in disputes over pay, working conditions and jobs. One date in particular will see the biggest national disruption for rail for 40 years: Thursday 15 September.
Some advice for the new prime minister – and the rail unions.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to today's independent travel podcast with me Simon Calder. |
| 0:06.7 | And we have, as you will have spotted, a new Prime Minister in the United Kingdom. |
| 0:13.7 | Technically, Liz Truss is simply leader of the Conservative Party until Tuesday when she goes to |
| 0:20.2 | see the Queen, but already every single organisation |
| 0:26.3 | going has got in touch with her about what she should be doing and I think it's very |
| 0:32.0 | important to look at what the biggest problem from a travel and transport point of view is, |
| 0:39.3 | and that is, I reckon, where there's many, many clamouring for attention, |
| 0:44.3 | the rail strikes. |
| 0:45.7 | Just a reminder that in 10 days time, |
| 0:48.7 | members of the RMT union working for network rail and 14 train operators will go on strike and on the same day as left the train drivers union will withdraw their labour and have another strike. |
| 1:04.3 | And we've got a further strike from the RMT on the 17th of September followed by action on the 27th and the 26th from members of the Transport Salaried Staff Association. |
| 1:19.4 | And that's what I really need to talk about today, because within minutes of LuzTrust winning the ballot against Richie Sunak. |
| 1:28.0 | The General Secretary of the RMT Union, Mick Lynch, said, |
| 1:33.3 | Liz Tras should act in the national interest and play a positive role in helping to settle the rail dispute. |
| 1:39.2 | Now, that makes it sound as though there's one rail dispute. |
| 1:41.4 | In fact, there are many, but let's call it one rail dispute. |
| 1:45.4 | And that is primarily about cash. And rail staff not wanting to take any reduction in their |
| 1:54.0 | real terms earnings, which means, well, at the moment, a double-digit pay rise. |
| 1:59.6 | The government's saying, you must change everything. |
| 2:03.6 | We can only possibly afford to give you a pay rise if you make productivity improvements and them saying, no, we're not going to. |
| 2:11.4 | We're only going to accept that if we can get an additional increase that is baked into our pay. That's why Nick Lynch saying, |
| 2:21.4 | we want to come to a negotiated settlement on job security pay and working conditions. This would |
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