Fresh strike causes more misery for rail passengers as bitter dispute continues

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He told the PA news agency: “Many people are suffering from low wages.” Asked about the NHS dispute, he said: “It won’t particularly bear directly on our negotiations and nor will ours on theirs, but we’ve got to show support for each other because people are struggling, all workers are struggling at the moment with low pay and poor conditions and we’re happy to support the nurses and I’m sure they would empathise with what we’re going through and our members are going through.” Asked why he joined a Royal College of Nursing picket line on Thursday, he added: “I’m an NHS user, that’s my hospital where I was born and bred. “And it’s a natural thing for a trade unionist and any worker to go and support people that are running a very just campaign.” Asked if last night’s talks raise the chances of strikes being called off before Christmas, Mr Lynch said: “Well it’s better we are talking than not, so the rail minister convened a meeting last night with the RMT representatives along Network Rail and the train operators. “But what he did having heard that, as the facilitator, as they describe themselves, and the people that ultimately own the purse strings, is he invited us and requested that we get together and hold further talks going forward and we’ll do that in the next period if the companies want to get engaged in it.” Steve Montgomery, who chairs the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Regrettably, the RMT leadership’s refusal to put our proposed 8% pay offer to its membership means we are unable to reach a resolution at this stage, although we remain open to talks. We continue to urge RMT leaders to put our proposals to their members rather than condemning them to weeks of lost pay either side of Christmas during a cost-of-living crisis Steve Montgomery, chairman of Rail Delivery Group “No-one wanted to see these strikes go ahead, and we can only apologise to passengers and to the many businesses who will be hit by this unnecessary and damaging disruption.