The General Secretary of the RMT Union, Mick Lynch, has a mandate from the majority of members across all the regions for strike action.

There are 17 Train Operating Companies (TOC) of which InterCity East Coast, Northern, & South-eastern are run by the Department for Transport, ScotRail is as expected run by the Scottish Government, and Wales & Borders by the Welsh Government. The other 12 TOC are owned by 9 companies.

The individual Train Operators or their owners obviously want to bargain about conditions and wages independently but that is not going to work because the strike is national. The Department for Transport only operate 3 companies, and the Welsh and Scottish governments one each.

This dispute is only going to be negotiated to a settlement when there is a single voice representing the Operators collectively. The Secretary of State for the Department of Transport Grant Shapps says the Union has to obtain agreement from the employers, that is each or all of the Train Operators.

Clearly Mick Lynch is negotiating not only for his members but trying to score points against the government because the Union is a political body as well. He is of course trying to blame the Government for not negotiating on behalf of all the Train Operators. Grant Shapps though is not in a position to negotiate an agreement and impose it on the other Operators.



Obviously, the Secretary of State doesn’t want a quick solution because it will cost the Operators dearly and ticket charges are already eye watering. So, he wants to play for time, so the commuters and electors become angry with the Unions to shame them into accepting a more reasonable offer. 

Each of the several Unions taking strike action across the public services are looking for one to make a significant pay settlement that can then be used as a reference to get the same or better for their members.

The UK Independence Party urges the 17 Train Operating Companies to quickly set up an Employers Negotiating Team to represent them collectively in negotiations of wages and conditions with any and all rail unions. 

Antony Nailer

UK Independence Party Transport Spokesman