Picket lines at Newcastle Central Station are getting 'amazing public support' on the second day of the the RMT strike.
Network Rail staff and staff working for train operators are on strike as part of three days of industrial action with the aim of not only improving their pay and working conditions, but also keeping their jobs secure. The strike has gone ahead for a second day after the RMT accused Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of "wrecking negotiations" yesterday.
The Government has made a number of proposals which a union member has described as 'increasingly incendiary,' and Network Rail informed the RMT that it will formally begin the process to lay off up to 1,800 members of staff by the end of the coming month.
Newcastle's Central Station's two picket lines, one outside the main entrance to the station and one outside the main staff car park, has seen an "amazing" public reaction. Members of the public have not only been stopping to talk with those striking, but bringing food and drink - the second of which was hugely welcomed on a very hot summer's day.
Dave King, Railway Guard and RMT's National Executive Committee Member for the North East, said: "The public reaction has been absolutely amazing, despite what parts of the media will have you thinking - that there's no public support or there's a poll that says this or whatever. That's not what we're seeing.
"It's not the reality on our picket line and it's not the reality on the ground. Our members are seeing amazing public support.
"We're constantly getting honked by cars, people are coming up to us and offering sweets, cakes and solidarity. The public support is amazing."
There have been a few negative comments, but that's to be expected according to Dave, with support far outweighing any negativity. Dave finished: "We get that a lot and it always seems to come from white vans, but the majority have been supportive."
On Thursday morning, Head of Newcastle City Council, Nick Kemp, turned out to support the strikers, as did reps from the National Education Union. Mr Kemp's appearance follows that of Ian Lavery's in Berwick this morning and Morpeth on Monday.
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The MP for Wansbeck and former Labour Party chairman tweeted: "Proud to be on the @RMTunion picket line supporting the membership at Berwick this morning #ToryRailStrikes."
The public have not only been showing their support to strikers in Newcastle. Picketing rail workers at Euston Station said they have been inundated with food from sympathetic commuters as they pledged to continue their strike.
Kathy Mazur, RMT regional organiser, said: "The public is definitely on our side, I’ve never seen so much support from the public. See here – the food, water, that’s from members of the public dropping off,” she continued, gesturing to two tubs of M&S chocolate mini-bites set next to a stack of hi-vis RMT vests.
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"Tuesday, the amount of food we had, we were giving away to the homeless people. Really, really great support from the public."
Eddie Dempsey, the RMT assistant general secretary also thinks the public is behind the rail strikes. He told PA news agency: "It’s difficult for everybody but I think the public is behind us. They understand it’s a scandal that billions are being ripped out of our industry at the same time workers are being punished.
"Teachers, they’re facing a cost-of-living crisis, (also) posties, telecoms workers, health workers. We think there’s going to be more demands for increases in pay in the economy and we think that’s right.
"It’s about time Britain had a pay rise. Wages have been falling for 30 years and corporate profits have been going through the roof."
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