Simon Clarke, the chief secretary of the Treasury, has stated that workers should not anticipate “inflation-busting pay increases,” and Boris Johnson has referred to the strike as “self-harm for rail workers.”
A Cabinet minister has expressed concern that rail strikes will occur this week and warned that workers will have to make sacrifices as the United Kingdom fights inflation.
Simon Clarke, the chief secretary of the Treasury, stated that even though the government was not the legal employer of striking union members, they could not expect “inflation-busting pay raises.”
“I fear that [the strikes] will likely occur,” Mr. Clarke said. “Of course, we will continue to support the negotiations until there is no more time for dialogue.
“However, I believe the public should be aware that there will be significant disruptions this week, and it would be prudent to prepare accordingly.”
In an interview with the Evening Standard, Boris Johnson stated that it was not too late for the unions to call off the strikes, which he termed “self-harm for rail workers.”
“Schoolchildren are at risk of exam disruptions, commuters may have to skip work yet again, and families enjoying a summer day in the city will undoubtedly experience disruptions,” said the prime minister.
The walkout of 40,000 rail workers in the largest rail strike in three decades threatens to disrupt commuters’ travel and clog roads with increased traffic.
Members of the RMT union are walking off the job in a dispute over pay, mandatory layoffs, and safety concerns, as employers seek to cut costs on a network that taxpayers have propped up during the COVID crisis.
According to reports, it may only be the beginning of what has been dubbed a “summer of discontent,” with teachers, nurses, doctors, and postal workers also contemplating industrial action.
With inflation at a four-decade high, workers are warned to expect a real income squeeze, as wage increases will be less than the 9 percent rise in the cost of living.
Mr. Clarke reiterated an earlier warning that wages must remain under control to prevent an intensifying price spiral, despite the RMT’s demand for a 7 percent pay increase being below inflation.
Speaking more generally about pay, he stated, “If we are to avert the calamity of inflation…then we must demonstrate collective, societal responsibility.
“I recognize that sacrifice is involved in this circumstance.”
Mr. Clarke stated that the government hoped ongoing negotiations between rail employers and labor unions would yield positive results.
He added, “We want to see a resolution that everyone can support. This must not only work for rail workers but also passengers and the taxpayer.
“The taxpayer substantially supported the railroad industry during the pandemic. Now that we’re emerging from it, we need the railroad to be a sustainable force in our nation. It’s not. These modifications must be secured as part of this broader negotiation.”
Through Network Rail, the government indirectly controls the thousands of miles of track on which private train companies operate.
Mr. Clarke stated that the government would not intervene in negotiations between employers and employees, stating, “We do not own the railroads.”
Paul Nowak, the deputy general secretary of the TUC, stated that teachers, rail workers, and postal workers were not “going on strike for fun” but rather had “real concerns about things like pay.”
“Many of our members are simply saying ‘enough is enough,'” he stated.
Louise Haigh, Labour’s shadow transport secretary, told that it was still possible for transport secretary Grant Shapps to intervene at the eleventh hour and prevent the strikes.
She stated, “We want passengers to avoid disruptions, but we also recognize and support the rights of rail workers to fight for a fair pay settlement.”
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS union, which represents civil servants, stated that his union was balloting 150,000 members regarding action in September and that teachers were also considering balloting for a possible strike in the fall.
He stated, “I’m not sure about a summer of discontent, but I am certain that we will see high levels of industrial action unless the government recognizes that frontline public sector workers who kept the country running during the pandemic cannot be expected to receive a 2% pay raise when inflation is expected to be over 11%.”
This week, a potential flashpoint could occur if the government moves forward with a plan to repeal a ban on the use of agency workers to replace striking workers, a move strongly opposed by unions.
