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The Telegraph
The Telegraph
National
Gareth Davies

Rail strikes prompts early exodus from Tory Party conference ahead of Liz Truss speech

Kings Cross Station deserted of passengers at rush hour on the second of three days of rail strike action in October - Ben Cawthra/LNP
Kings Cross Station deserted of passengers at rush hour on the second of three days of rail strike action in October - Ben Cawthra/LNP

The fresh rail strikes are thought to have prompted an early exodus from the Tory Party conference in Birmingham ahead of the Prime Minister's speech on Wednesday. 

Liz Truss addressed the conference in the Midlands at 11am, but many people were seen leaving early on Tuesday night before rail passengers are set for more travel chaos on Wednesday due to another strike in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

With a long winter of public service walkouts awaiting Britain in the coming months, the Prime Minister is said to be considering plans which would curb the rights of teachers, NHS staff and firefighters to strike, according to The Times. 

The paper reports Jacob Rees-Mogg, the business secretary, has been told to come up with a list of "important public services" - and the plans would attempt to ensure legal limits on strike action to make sure these services do not stop entirely during action. 

Members of the drivers' union Aslef and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) will walk out, causing huge disruption to services.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan told the PA news agency the dispute would continue until the Government intervened.

He urged Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan to "lift the shackles" from train companies so they could make a pay offer to workers.

"The message I am receiving from my members is that they are in this for the long haul and if anything they want industrial action to be increased," he said.

Ms Trevelyan, speaking to the BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, indicated that she now sees "more clearly" the perspective of the railway workers after meeting with Mr Whelan and RMT general secretary Mick Lynch.

She said she met the pair "because I really wanted to understand where they're coming from".

Which trains will be affected?

The train drivers' strike will affect Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express), Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Transpennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

Members of the TSSA will strike at CrossCountry and take other forms of industrial action at several other operators.

The TSSA is also planning industrial action on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at more than a dozen train companies and Network Rail will strike on Saturday.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel on Wednesday and allow extra time for their journey.

Train companies not involved in the strike will be running trains, but these are expected to be busy.

Services are likely to be disrupted into the early morning of Thursday as workers return to duties.

The disruption will affect football fixtures and the final day of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Primal Scream, Dexys and Jesus and Mary Chain record strike support song

Artists from Primal Scream, Dexys (Midnight Runners) and The Jesus and Mary Chain have joined forces to produce a song and video in support of RMT’s fight against low pay and cuts to jobs and services.

They are currently working on the song called Enough is Enough to highlight support for rail workers strike action which will feature RMT general secretary Mick Lynch..

Kevin Rowland said that RMT’s battle for workplace justice had been an inspiration for millions of people, and said: "RMT has been leading the way on behalf of working people and now other unions are joining the fight against low pay and this government that is trying to screw working people into the ground."

Mr Lynch said: “My union is thrilled that music legends such as Primal Scream and Dexys and others want to support workers in struggle.

“It shows the growing amount of support for social justice and the fact that trade unions are the only thing that stand in the way of endless austerity and poverty.”

The track is due to be released at the end of October.

The strike, in pictures

London's Euston Station closed on Wednesday morning as rail strikes set to disrupt nation - Belinda Jiao
London's Euston Station closed on Wednesday morning as rail strikes set to disrupt nation - Belinda Jiao
Traffic queues on the A102M Blackwall Tunnel approach in Greenwich South East London during rush hour - George Cracknell Wright/LNP
Traffic queues on the A102M Blackwall Tunnel approach in Greenwich South East London during rush hour - George Cracknell Wright/LNP
RMT General Secretary, Mick Lynch, at the picket line at Euston - Mark Thomas/i-Images
RMT General Secretary, Mick Lynch, at the picket line at Euston - Mark Thomas/i-Images

Who is saying what?

Mick Lynch said there was now a "different mood and a different face" to the Government, but that it was "too early to say" whether it will lead to progress in negotiations between transport unions and rail companies.

The general secretary of the RMT recently met new Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, along with other union leaders.

Mr Lynch, who was speaking at an Aslef picket line outside Euston station on Wednesday morning, said it was "too early to say" whether the change of minister would lead to progress in the dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

"There's definitely a different mood and a different face to the Government but you only find out whether there's a real change when you get around the negotiating table."

Mr Lynch said negotiations with the rail companies were continuing this week but union leaders had "not seen anything tangible besides a handshake and a cup of tea at this stage".

While today's strike is by the train drivers' union, Aslef, Mr Lynch said he would attend picket lines, ahead of an RMT strike on Saturday, as it was important "that all unions show solidarity to each other".

Mr Lynch said the Prime Minister's characterisation of unions as being part of an 'anti-growth coalition' is "barking mad".

Liz Truss said the coalition of Labour, unions and vested interests who 'prefer protesting to doing' are holding Britain back, in her speech today at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.

The general secretary of the RMT, speaking at an Aslef picket line outside Euston station, said in response: "It's barking mad. Who in this society is opposed to growth?

"It depends how you achieve growth - you don't achieve growth by stimulating the rich because the rich are already rich and trickle-down economics has proven to be a fallacy over the decades.

"What we need is a stimulation in working-class communities because people need money in their pocket, they need to be able to pay their bills, feed their families, and go about their everyday lives with a bit of security."

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said the current wave of train strikes were the first railway dispute he has been involved in where transport unions have "the approval of the public".

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, joins rail workers on a picket line at London Euston railway station - Chris J Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, joins rail workers on a picket line at London Euston railway station - Chris J Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

The head of the train drivers' union said: "At this moment in time, we are not getting the brickbats and the abuse that we used to get, because people do see that we're all in it together."

Mr Whelan, speaking at a picket line outside Euston station on Wednesday, added: "It's the first time I've been involved in a railway issue whereby we've had the approval of the public and that's different for us.

"That's because it is barristers, it is teachers, it is lecturers, it is everybody across all sectors all feeling the pinch at the same time and this can only be down to the Government."

Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the Rail Delivery Group, said: "These strikes disrupt the travel plans of millions of passengers and undermine businesses who continue to struggle with rising costs and this continued action will only further damage the railway's recovery.

"While some rail companies are not involved in the strike, services are likely to be busy, severely disrupted or in some cases not running, so passengers should check the latest travel advice before setting off.

"Passengers with advance, off-peak or anytime tickets affected by the strikes on 5 October can use their ticket on the day before the booked date, or up to and including 7 October.

"Passengers can also change their tickets to travel on an alternate date or get a refund if their train is cancelled or rescheduled."

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: "We saw only last weekend that our strike action was rock-solid across the country. Our brilliant members remain determined to see their demands met in the shape of a just settlement.

"We do not strike lightly but are prepared to dig in as we seek a fair deal on pay, job security and conditions in the face of cuts, economic collapse and a cost-of-living crisis at the hands of this chaotic Tory government.

"With more strikes and wider industrial action in the offing this week, it's time for ministers to get wise and act now to deliver a fair deal which will halt a winter of rail misery across the network."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "It is incredibly disappointing that for the second time in five days we face disruption on our railways, with businesses once again being affected, thousands of people at risk of being unable to travel to work or school, and doctors' appointments being missed.

"Our railway is in desperate need of modernisation but all more strikes will do is punish the very people unions claim to stand up for and push passengers further away.

"We urge union bosses to reconsider this divisive action and instead work with their employers, not against them, to agree a new way forward."

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