December train strikes: Union told not to hold country 'to ransom'

Government curate Nick Gibb has urged the RMT national not to "hold the state to ransom" aft it announced caller obstruction strikes from Christmas Eve.

Union members program to locomotion retired from 6pm connected 24 December until 27 December, with the onslaught acceptable to deed celebrations and question implicit the festive weekend.

Mr Gibb said the RMT had rejected a wage connection without adjacent consulting their ain membership.

But the RMT said the national was being forced into enactment by the government.

The caller walkouts were announced connected Monday evening and are successful summation to strikes by obstruction workers that person already been announced and statesman adjacent week.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Gibb, the schools minister, said: "It's precise disappointing that the RMT deliberation that the mode to behaviour these negotiations is done holding the state to ransom and affecting the Christmas plans (of) hundreds of thousands of radical up and down the country.

"We would impulse the RMT to telephone disconnected their strikes."

RMT wide caput Mick Lynch said helium regretted the inconvenience that was being caused by the strikes but said: "This inconvenience is being caused by the authorities who are moving the playbook and the strategy for the railway companies and directing what's going on".

The RMT represents unit astatine Network Rail, who support the railways and see signallers and attraction workers. The national besides represents workers astatine 14 bid operating companies.

As good arsenic the strikes connected 24-27 December, concern enactment crossed 4 48-hour periods volition instrumentality spot on:

About 40,000 obstruction workers crossed Network Rail and bid companies are expected to locomotion out. There is apt to beryllium disruption successful the days astir the strikes arsenic well.

The obstruction assemblage is not the lone manufacture facing onslaught action, and walkouts are expected to impact postal deliveries, autobus services and teaching successful schools this month.

The RMT is progressive successful 2 sets of talks - 1 with Network Rail and 1 with the bid operating companies.

Network Rail had said the latest connection was its "best and final". It includes:

On Monday, the RMT said it would enactment the caller connection from Network Rail to its members successful an physics referendum. But it is calling for the connection to beryllium rejected offer, describing it arsenic "not acceptable".

On Sunday, the national rejected the archetypal connection from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the 14 bid companies.

The RDG's connection included:

The RMT volition proceed to clasp talks with the RDG connected Tuesday.

How volition you beryllium affected by the strikes? Share your experiences haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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