By Ben Kerrigan-
Former Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry has repeated his call for the Government to negotiate on pay with the nursing union to avert further strikes, saying “machismo and chest beating” does not work.
His call comes as train services around Britain face severe disruption once more in the wake of national strikes resume on Friday, despite another union accepting Network Rail’s pay deal.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
Train services around Britain will be severely disrupted once more as national strikes resume on Friday, despite another union accepting Network Rail’s pay deal.
Train operators have urged passengers to plan ahead and check with operators for the latest information, with about 20% of normal services running between 7.30am and 6.30pm on both Friday and Saturday.
Passengers have been advised to only attempt to travel by train if necessary as this week’s second 48-hour strike by members of the RMT union begins, with three more weeks of disruption to follow.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
Train operators said passengers should plan ahead and check with operators for the latest information, with about 20% of normal services running between 7.30am and 6.30pm on both Friday and Saturday.
Passengers have been advised to only attempt to travel by train if necessary as this week’s second 48-hour strike by members of the RMT union begins, with three more weeks of disruption to follow.
Train operators said passengers should plan ahead and check with operators for the latest information, with about 20% of normal services running between 7.30am and 6.30pm on both Friday and Saturday.
Sir Berry told Times Radio this morning that:
“There is no do-nothing option except continued strikes. And I just think the cancellation of probably literally hundreds of thousands of non-urgent appointments yesterday has huge repercussions for an already-overstretched health service…
“That’s why I think it’s reasonable to say in this regard, it is time for pragmatism and talking between the Government and the unions. I don’t see why that is controversial.
“Machismo and sort of chest beating and ‘we’ll take the unions on’ doesn’t work. You only get these things sorted out by talking.”
king from the picket line at London Euston station, the union chief told Sky News:
“We had an exchange about what might be possible and some ways forward and ideas that all the parties shared, and the rail minister requested that all the parties get down to some more discussions in the next period.
“We’ll look to arrange those meetings with the employers and see if we can develop some solutions to the issues that hopefully all the parties can support.
“But there are no actual negotiations; there are some soundings-out of what might be developed.
“So we’ll look forward to getting around the table with employers and work it up and see what we can do.
“But there are no new proposals on the table as we speak.”
Lynch also said, though, he was ‘optimistic’ there could be a deal, if both sides can agree some “commonly held positions”.
If we get a set of documentation and a pay proposal that our members want to support, it will resolve the dispute and we can take all the action away.
I hope we can do that as quickly as possible”.
Rail strikes are likely to obstruct passengers flying into the Uk from abroad this christmas.
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar