Mick Lynch said Richard Madeley might as well “interview himself” amid a one-sided exchange over train strikes live on ITV.
The Good Morning Britain host accused the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union boss of “sadism” and “targeting people over Christmas” during the broadcast on Tuesday morning.
“Whatever happened to Christmas kindness?” Madeley asked in the ITV studio as he addressed Lynch on the picket line outside London Euston, before asking if he could have moved planned strikes.
But as Lynch explained the reasoning for the strikes, which will be held on December 13, 14, 16 and 17 as well as January 3, 4, 6 and 7, Madeley cut him off - accusing the RMT leader as being “disingenuous” for suggeting such dates are not Christmas time.
The pair then proceded to argue as to when Christmas season begins. There will also be an overtime ban across the railways from December 18 until January 2, meaning RMT be taking industrial action for four weeks.
“Richard, you’re just talking to yourself,” Lynch said, as Madeley carried on. “You’re ranting...If you give me a minute, I will answer the question.”
“I won’t let you get away with nonsense,” Madeley replied as co-host Kate Garraway looked on.
“Richard, why don’t you just interview yourself?” Lynch said before the pair argued over each other as to accountability. “Why don’t you just stop talking for a second... You can’t interrupt me if you don’t let me talk.”
Eventually Garraway stepped in and the original question as to why strikes are being held in the lead up to Christmas was answered by Lynch.
RMT has said it is striking because the government has “failed to make an improved offer on jobs, pay and conditions for our members during the last two weeks of talks”.
Lynch said: “Our strike action is in response to [Network Rail’s position]. The strike action over Christmas is during the Christmas closedown when there will be no services running after the evening of December 24. So that does not impact, as there will be no trains from the 25th to the 27th. And that is when we are taking the action you are referring to.
“This week’s action was given with three weeks’ notice, well in advance, so we could try and get negotiations going. We have not had strike action for eight weeks.”
Mick Lynch from the @RMTunion calling out the BBC for repeating govt propaganda and the attack lines used by the right wing press.👏👏👏 #r4today pic.twitter.com/PnVIZsLGQr
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) December 13, 2022
Lynch had also been on the Radio 4 Today programme on Tuesday, accusing the BBC of “pumping out” whatever the government says.
Presenter Mishal Husain pressed him to name a figure of how much RMT members are losing in their strikes, to which he accused her of “looking to the right wing press” to her questioning.
“Why do you need that number?” he asked.
She responded: “Because I am interested in the level of sacrifice...”
“But,” he cut back, “Why are you not interested in what Network Rail and the government are doing to the people in this country and impoverishing them?”
“It’s about time you showed some partiality towards your working class listeners,” he added.
