300,000 people were hit by Aslef and the RMT’s strike on Southern Rail yesterday. The bad news for commuters is that things will get worse in the New Year.
The unions have a six day strike planned for January, that means a whole working week of commuters not being able to get to their jobs, specialist medical appointments being missed and families being put under pressure. I argue in The Sun today that the government needs to act to help commuters.
What it should do is ask parliament to pass a law that would impose minimum service requirements on the rail unions and the train operators. Never again should a whole line be able to be taken out by strike action.
I understand from those MPs pushing for this, that Chris Grayling is supportive. But what is less clear is what Number 10’s position is.
There are ‘discussions happening’ about what new legislation is needed. But Number 10 is, I understand, reluctant to try and legislate. One ally of Theresa May’s tells me, ‘Certain people are spoiling for a fight with the unions, that’s not entirely helpful’. I hear that there is a sense there that Grayling’s approach has been too combative.
But if May is serious about helping the just managing classes, she needs to act. If she doesn’t, they will face years of commuting misery as the unions try and stop the roll out of new, modern trains across the network. And if the House of Lords want to pick a fight over this—as Corbyn is encouraging them to do, May should say ‘bring it on’. A bunch of unelected politicians trying to stop her from helping hard-hit commuters is a political battle that any Prime Minister should welcome.
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