RMT’s Mick Lynch insists rail strikes ‘have been a success’ despite lack of pay deal after almost a year

Published

2 years ago

June 2, 2023

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The boss of Britain’s biggest rail workers union has insisted strikes have been a “success” – despite no pay deal being agreed yet after almost a year of industrial action.

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said the rail strikes – which began in June 2022 – had managed to prevent bosses from pushing through redundancies and controversial reforms such as mass ticket office closures.

He also claimed a further success was the inspiration his union had provided to workers in other sectors.

Mr Lynch was speaking amid widespread disruption on Friday after around 20,000 workers, including guards and rail managers at 14 firms, walked out once again over pay and conditions.

A walkout by train drivers’ union ASLEF was also held on Wednesday, with more action planned this weekend, as part of the ongoing rows between the government and the unions.

Saturday’s walkout by ASLEF members will affect people travelling to the FA Cup final at Wembley, the Epsom Derby in Surrey, the England v Ireland test match at Lord’s, and Beyonce’s Renaissance tour date at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mr Lynch, speaking from a picket line at London’s Euston station, said train companies were to blame for the disruption and added strikes would be called off as soon as a “fair” deal was agreed.

But he said the action had already achieved results, as railway firms “haven’t been able to implement any of their plans”.

He said: “We’ve pushed them [rail bosses] back on all the stuff they wanted to do – they wanted to make thousands of our people redundant, they wanted to shut every booking office in Britain, restructure our engineering workers, [and] cut the catering service.

“What we haven’t got is a pay deal, we haven’t got any guarantees on our members’ futures, but we have stopped them doing the worst aspects of their proposals and their ideas.”

Mr Lynch added: “It has been a success, our members are still with us, they’ve had three ballots to continue with the strike action under the law.

“Other people seem to have been inspired to fight back and take action in their own industries, so it has been a success and it’s put trade unions back on the map in Britain.”

The RMT and ASLEF have rejected pay offers put forward by the government so far this year, on the grounds that proposed terms on conditions and pay were not good enough, especially amid ongoing high inflation.

But some other disputes have been resolved, including a separate row involving RMT workers at Network Rail, after members voted to accept a revised pay offer in March.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the UK’s train service providers, hit back at the RMT’s claims and said “common-sense” reforms were “long overdue”.

They said: “There have been three pay deals offered which the RMT executive have reneged despite their negotiators in the room agreeing the terms.

“We’ve said all along we just want railway workers to have their say on the fair and affordable offer of up to a 13% rise over two years, plus guarantees on job security.”

The RDG added: “The only thing they [the RMT] have achieved is continuing to take money out of their members’ pockets, inflicting misery on thousands of people and damaging an industry which is vital to Britain’s economy and their own members’ livelihoods.”

Business

Bodycare to close 56 remaining stores – with nearly 450 to be made redundant

Published

4 hours ago

September 22, 2025

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Bodycare to close 56 remaining stores - with nearly 450 to be made redundant

High Street beauty chain Bodycare is to close its 56 remaining stores, resulting in 444 redundancies, administrators have said.

Last week it announced the closure of 30 shops, having collapsed into administration earlier this month.

A shortage of stock and the cost of running stores meant it was no longer viable to keep its 115 stores open, administrators said at the time.

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Business

Trump reveals Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch could be involved in TikTok deal

Published

13 hours ago

September 22, 2025

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Trump reveals Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch could be involved in TikTok deal

Donald Trump has revealed that media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan could be part of a deal in which TikTok in the United States will come under American control.

The US president also namedropped Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, as a possible participant in the deal during an interview with Fox News, which is owned by the Murdochs.

“I think they’re going to be in the group. A couple of others. Really great people, very prominent people,” Mr Trump said. “And they’re also American patriots, you know, they love this country. I think they’re going to do a really good job.”

Mr Trump said that Larry Ellison, founder and CEO of software firm Oracle, was part of the same group. His involvement in the potential TikTok deal had previously been revealed.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Saturday that Oracle would be responsible for the app’s data and security, with Americans set to control six of the seven seats for a planned TikTok board.

This comes after Mr Trump said he and China’s Xi Jinping held a “very productive call” on Friday, discussing the final approval for the TikTok deal, much of which is still unknown.

Once confirmed, the deal should stop TikTok from being banned in the US after lawmakers decided it posed a security risk to citizens’ data.

Officials warned that the algorithm TikTok uses is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to push specific content on the social media platform in a way that is difficult to detect.

Congress had ordered the app shut down for American users by January 2025 if its Chinese owner ByteDance didn’t sell its assets in the country – but the ban has been delayed four times by President Trump.

Mr Trump said on Sunday that he might be “a little prejudiced” about TikTok, after telling reporters on Friday: “I wasn’t a fan of TikTok and then I got to use it and then I became a fan and it helped me win an election in a landslide.”

After the call with Mr Xi, Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post: “We made progress on many very important issues, including Trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the War between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal.”

Mr Trump later told reporters at the White House that Xi had approved the deal, but said it still needed to be signed.

Representatives for the Murdochs, Mr Dell and Mr Ellison have not yet commented on a potential TikTok deal.

Business

Gatwick second runway given green light by government

Published

13 hours ago

September 22, 2025

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Gatwick second runway given green light by government

Gatwick’s second runway has been given the go-ahead by the government.

The northern runway already exists parallel to Gatwick‘s main one, but cannot be used at the same time, as it is too close.

It is currently limited to being a taxiway and is only used for take-offs and landings if the main one has to shut.

The £2.2bn expansion project will see it move 12 metres north so both can operate simultaneously, facilitating 100,000 extra flights a year, 14,000 jobs, and £1bn a year for the economy.

It would also mean the airport could process 75 million passengers a year by the late 2030s.

Gatwick is already the second busiest airport in the UK, and the busiest single runway airport in Europe.

No public money is being used for the expansion plan, which airport bosses say could see the new runway operational by 2029.

The expansion was initially rejected by the Planning Inspectorate over concerns about its provisions for noise prevention and public transport connections.

Campaigners also argued the additional air traffic will be catastrophic for the environment and the local community.

A revised plan was published by the planning authority earlier this year, which it said could be approved by the government if all conditions were met.

The government says it is now satisfied this is the case, with additions made including Gatwick being able to set its own target for passengers who travel to the airport by public transport – instead of a statutory one.

Nearby residents affected by noise will also be able to charge the airport for the cost of triple-glazed windows.

And people who live directly under the flight path who choose to sell their homes could have their stamp duty and estate agent fees paid for up to 1% of the purchase price.

CAGNE, an aviation and environmental group in Sussex, Surrey, and Kent, says it still has concerns about noise, housing provision, and wastewaster treatment.

The group says it will lodge a judicial review, which will be funded by local residents and environmental organisations.

‘Disaster for the climate crisis’

Green Party leader Zack Polanski criticised the second runway decision, posting on X: “Aviation expansion is a disaster for the climate crisis.

“Anyone who’s been paying any attention to this shambles of a Labour Govenrment (sic) knows they don’t care about people in poverty, don’t care about nature nor for the planet. Just big business & their own interests.”

Friends of the Earth claimed the economic case for the airport expansion has been “massively overstated”.

Head of campaigns Rosie Downes warned: “If we’re to meet our legally-binding climate targets, today’s decision also makes it much harder for the government to approve expansion at Heathrow.”

Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden welcomed the decision but said it “should have been made months ago”, claiming Labour have “dithered and delayed at every turn”.

“Now that Gatwick’s second runway has been approved, it’s crucial Labour ensures this infrastructure helps drive the economic growth our country needs,” he said.

A government source told Sky News the second runway is a “no-brainer for growth”.

“The transport secretary has cleared Gatwick expansion for take-off,” they said. “It is possible that planes could be taking off from a new full runway at Gatwick before the next general election.

“Any airport expansion must be delivered in line with our legally binding climate change commitments and meet strict environmental requirements.”