Thread by @LlewelynPritch

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS GOVERNMENT'S NEW LAWS COULD ACTUALLY MAKE RAIL DISRUPTION WORSE, GOVERNMENT ADMITS

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS New laws to keep the railways going during strikes could end up making the disruption worse by encouraging more strikes and causing staff shortages, the Government has admitted.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS Union boss Mick Lynch has insisted the stoppages would be “indefinite” and accused Jeremy Hunt of blocking a resolution to the dispute.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS Various strikes are expected to bring the rail network to a standstill for much of this month. The Government’s main proposal for a long-term solution is legislation for “minimum service levels”, ensuring that trains continue to run even when strikesactive

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS But in an impact assessment recently published by the Department for Transport, officials said that introducing the new requirements could increase the number of strike days as unions seek retribution,

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS and encourage staff to take other disruptive action, such as working to rule.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS The department said that “an increased number of strikes could ultimately result in more adverse impacts in the long term” and “a further significant unintended consequence of this policy could be the increase in staff taking action short of striking”.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS If workers refused to turn up on strike days and ended up being fired, “employers may find that they are low on staff to run normal services”, the impact assessment added.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS Louise Haigh, Labour’s shadow Transport Secretary, told i: “The Government openly accept this legislation won’t avert strikes and could even increase disruption and strike days on the rail network.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS “Rather than forcing through damaging legislation that could exacerbate disruption, the Government should stop grandstanding, show some responsibility, get around the table and start negotiating to avoid disruption.”

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS Mr Lynch, head of the RMT union, said on Thursday there was “no prospect of settling this dispute” and that rail strikes would be “indefinite” until a demand to make driver-only operated trains the effective default across the country was dropped.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS He accused the Treasury and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt of dictating the terms of the negotiations to Transport Secretary Mark Harper, who sets the negotiating mandate for train operators.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS And he blamed the Government for inserting a demand for driver-only operated trains into negotiations last Sunday, which scuppered the chances of a deal as it is “the policy of the union” that it will “not accept driver-only operation”.

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS He added: “They may as well come in with a fish and slap me round the chops with it.”

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS The union chief repeatedly suggested Mr Harper did not have a free hand to set the negotiating mandate for train operators ... Read more

lnkd.in/eM5rByPS Hugo Gye, Paul Waugh, Arj Singh 9 Dec 2022 #IncompetentToryGovernment #GovernmentMismanagementTraditionsUKCA #IndependentResearch1969- #Transport