Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union representatives in Newcastle have warned of a 'dehumanized railway' as they took to picket lines outside Central Station in a row over jobs, pay and conditions.
Thousands of staff employed by Network Rail, the London Underground, and 13 train operators, began three days of strike action across the country on Tuesday, with walk-outs also planned on Thursday, June 23, and Saturday, June 25. The RMT says operators and Network Rail are proposing new pay rates that do not rise in line with inflation.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said Network Rail had offered a 2% pay rise with the possibility of a further 1% later dependent on efficiency savings. The RMT also says rail operators are seeking to bring in job cuts which could include compulsory redundancies that would have safety implications on the rail network.
READ MORE: Why rail workers are on strike and what the RMT has been offered to settle dispute
David King, who worked as a guard on the railway and is now the RMT's National Executive Committee Member for the North East, was on the picket line with workers in Newcastle. He said that rail workers are facing what amounts to a "three-year pay cut" as well as attacks on their pensions, jobs and conditions.
"We are at Newcastle Central Station on a picket line for the first day of the national rail dispute," he said.
"It is the first time in 33 years that all grades, all companies, and all locations have come out. That's over 40,000 members and we have also got 10,000 members on the underground as well.
"Our members worked throughout the pandemic. We have lost members - people have died because of Covid.
"We were key workers and getting clapped on the doorsteps, but how we have been repaid for that is by an up to three-year pay cut when inflation is currently at 11.1%. We are also seeing attacks on our pensions - they want to rip all of our pensions up - and also on jobs.
"They plan to cut thousands of jobs across the industry, including the maintenance - the people who look after the track and inspect the trains - who are doing a very important critical-safety job and they are planning on cutting back on that. They are planning on also closing all of the booking offices.
"There are going to be absolutely massive job cuts across the industry."
READ MORE: RMT rail strikes will happen after last-ditch talks fail to resolve dispute
READ MORE: National rail strike June 2022: Train refund, cancellation and journey change options
The Department for Transport (DfT) disputed RMT claims on rail funding and job cuts. It insisted that the Government is not slashing £4 billion from the network, pointing instead to a significant loss in revenue as fewer people travel by rail.
The DfT also denied the Government has directed the industry to make thousands of job cuts, saying it is for the employer to determine which roles may no longer be required.
RMT representative David King, warned that the effect will be a "dehumanized railway," but vowed that the RMT members will not stand for it and said that workers have been met with huge support from the public and trade unions.
"We are going to have a dehumanized railway and we are not going to stand for it," he said.
"Terms and conditions are also going to be attacked. They are determined to have an internal fire and rehire where people will be re-employed on brand new contracts that are basically just a blank piece of paper that has not been negotiated.
"Our members are under numerous attacks and have voted massively, 89%, to come out and strike. We are going to send a strong message to the Government and we have got masses of support from the public and other trade unions.
"This is just the first day and there is a massive battle ahead, but all of our members are determined and we are going to win."
Rail Delivery Group said it needs to "bring rail up to date" as it urged the RMT to call off the strikes.
Steve Montgomery, Chair of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “These strikes will affect the millions of people who use the train each day, including key workers, students with exams, those who cannot work from home, holidaymakers and those attending important business and leisure events.
“Working with Network Rail, our plan is to keep as many services running as possible, but significant disruption will be inevitable and some parts of the network will not have a service so passengers should plan their journeys carefully and check their train times.
“Taxpayers have provided the equivalent of about £600 per household since Covid and passenger numbers are still only at around 75% of pre-pandemic levels. We need to bring rail up to date so that we attract more people back and take no more than our fair share from the public purse.
“We ask the RMT’s leadership to call off these damaging strikes and continue talks to reach a deal that is fair to staff and taxpayers, and which secures a bright, long-term future of our railways.”
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