Grant Shapps has said it is “crazy” to suggest the Tories want rail unions to go on strike this week, as Labour accused the government of encouraging the walkouts to go ahead to stoke division.
The transport secretary said the strikes by 40,000 rail workers, which is due to affect services across much of the country from Monday night, were “unnecessary” and a result of trade union leaders “gunning for” a fight. He accused RMT of planning to “punish millions of innocent people”.
However, Keir Starmer on Sunday accused Shapps of being the one who was stoking the dispute, after the government refused talks with the unions and rail employers.
“They want the country to grind to a halt so they can feed off the division. Instead of spending their time this week around the negotiating table, they are designing attack ads,” the Labour leader said.
“Instead of grown-up conversations to take the heat out of the situation, they are pouring petrol on the fire. Instead of bringing people together in the national interest, they are stoking division in their political interest.”
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday Politics show, Shapps dismissed the claim that the Tories want the rail strikes to go ahead.
“In what sort of crazy world would anyone want to see our transport sector grind to a halt?” he said, highlighting students unable to attend exams and people likely to miss hospital appointments and struggling to get to work.
He insisted it was an “11th-hour stunt” by the union, “suddenly coming forward and saying: ‘We need to negotiate with the government now’ even though this last month they told me they wouldn’t be seen dead negotiating with the government.”
However, Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary, said the government needed to help unlock the talks.
He told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme that workers are “not asking for special treatment” and want protection amid the cost of living crisis.
He said: “Train operating companies have made no offer at all during these talks … The train operators adjourned the meeting on Thursday, they’ve not invited us to any talks whatsoever and they’ve made no offer on pay. We’re looking for a pay rise that reflects the cost of living.”
Lynch also accused Shapps of a “fabrication” over the transport secretary’s claim that the unions were protesting on Saturday rather than attending talks.
“He’s making it up. What he’s saying is untrue. We didn’t attend a rally instead of negotiations. There were no negotiations scheduled and the train operating companies have not spoken to me or any of my officials since Thursday at lunchtime,” he said.
The action is being taken by Network Rail employees and onboard and station staff working for 13 train operators in England. RMT has said thousands of jobs are at risk in maintenance roles and that ticket office closures are planned, on top of pay freezes during a time of high inflation.
It was also reported this weekend that the government is looking to close all ticket offices from September and ask people to buy their tickets online in a plan to save £500m.
