Boris Johnson has slammed the RMT union’s “reckless” series of strikes planned for this month.
He challenged Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to also condemn the industrial action in a fiery exchange at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
Mr Johnson said: “When it come to travel chaos, have we heard any condemnation yet from the Opposition of the RMT and their reckless and wanton strike.”
It came after union bosses were on Wednesday told to “act like grown-ups” to avoid a summer of crippling strikes set to cause misery for millions of commuters.
Cabinet minister Sajid Javid issued the demand after the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced plans for a string of walk-outs later this month.
The Health Secretary said the Government was “looking at all options” to prevent disruption after a senior Tory MP suggested new legislation forcing some train services to run during strikes could be introduced.
“It would be wrong at every level to have this strike,” Mr Javid told Times Radio.
“I hope they sit down with the industry, think again, act sensibly, act like grown-ups and understand that not only would a strike be wrong for the travellers, the misery that would cause, but actually I think it would be wrong for the workers in the industry.”
He also stressed that the Government had put in £16 billion to support the rail industry, equivalent to around £600 per household, and that this level of public funding was not sustainable.
The row came as residents in parts of the capital were warned to brace for bin collection chaos as GMB union members at the capital’s largest rubbish tips announced strike action. Tens of thousands of holidaymakers have also been hit by flight delays and cancellations over staff shortages at airlines and airports.
Earlier chairman of the Transport Select Committee Huw Merriman said the Government should fulfil a 2019 Conservative manifesto commitment requiring that a minimum train service run even during industrial action.
He added that the new legislation would “strengthen” the Government’s arm in negotiating with unions.
He said: “It was proposed in the manifesto that there would be a minimum service obligation so that trains would have to run, as they do in France, Italy [and] Spain during strikes, where a third to a fifth of trains operate.
“That legislation has not been put in place, so without that it will be difficult to negotiate with unions if the trains grind to a halt.”
Mr Javid told the BBC that “there are of course options for the Government”.
“I know that my colleague will be looking at all options,” he said.
Talks between Network Rail and the RMT are expected to take place in the following days.
Workers are preparing to shut down the country’s transport network with strikes on June 21, 23 and 25 in what has been billed as the largest industrial action by train staff in at least 30 years.
A ballot of 40,000 union members resulted in staff at Network Rail and 13 train operating companies voting to walk out over proposed cuts.
About 10,000 Underground workers will also strike on June 21 in an ongoing dispute over job losses and pensions.
The is strike expected to cause severe disruption for those heading to Glastonbury Festival on June 22 as well as England’s test cricket match against New Zealand in Leeds that same day.
The UK athletics championships in Manchester on June 24-26 and Armed Forces Day in London on June 25 will also be affected.
The RMT claimed that rail firms had not made “concrete proposals” on demands for better pay and job security, prompting the union to call for the largest strike since 1989.
Train operators have been told to find £1-2 billion in annual savings, with passenger numbers still below pre-pandemic levels.
While companies have not yet proposed redundancies, rail workers are protesting job roles not being replaced and below inflation wage increases.
RMT assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey told LBC: “We’ve asked for a substantial pay rise. And we’re basing it on the fact that a lot of our members now are in a third year of a pay freeze.
“We haven’t put a figure on it and a number of losses in terms of jobs that are proposed in the industry are far more than 2,500.”
Rail Delivery Group chairman Steve Montgomery said the strikes are “needless and damaging”.
Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said the organisation is “doing everything we can” to avoid the strike action.
“Through compromise and common sense on both sides, we hope to find a solution and avoid the damage that strike action would cause all involved,” he said.
