The Transport Secretary has warned that some families in the UK could face a “virtual Christmas” due to rail strikes over the festive season. Mark Harper has hit out at rail unions, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are due to stage two 48-hour strikes this coming week following months of industrial action over the deadlocked row.
Writing for the Telegraph newspaper, Harper said: “This year, many families may have no choice, but to alter their plans and have a virtual Christmas again. This isn’t due to a new public health pandemic, but because of rail strikes, planned by the RMT union to cause misery during the festive period.”
The Cabinet minister said that the “dire” situation was not “inevitable”, as he said the RMT union could end it. It comes as RMT general secretary Mick Lynch wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, saying a meeting between the two men was now the best prospect of making any progress.
