The Conversation (0)
Kate Plummer
Jun 21, 2022
RMT union boss slams Tory MP for talking 'nonsense' over rail strikes
Independent
Correct us if we are wrong, but we reckon RMT boss Mike Lynch thinks a Tory MP lied about rail strike negotiations.
Why? Because Lynch accused MP Chris Philp of '"lying" and being a "liar" not once, not twice, not thrice but... 16 times in a tense Newsnight clash last night.
It all started when Philp claimed: ″Mick Lynch has previously said he would not negotiate with a Tory government."
Lynch said Philp was telling "a direct lie" and claimed he would “absolutely” be prepared to negotiate with a Tory government.
“I have met every transport minister in the last year – bus, rail, maritime and the secretary of state," he said. "We’ve never said we won’t meet the Tories.
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“What we’ve said is that they’re not at the table when negotiating with the employers.
“You’ve also lied we left negotiations on Saturday and went to a rally.
“There were no negotiations scheduled for Saturday – you are a liar.”
Clips of the exchange went viral on Twitter and people loved it:
\u201cI think I\u2019ve just found our new Leader for our new Socialist Party\u2026Go edd Mick \ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\u201d— Red Kaz #jft97 \ud83d\udc99 #SaveTheNHSFromTheToryVultures (@Red Kaz #jft97 \ud83d\udc99 #SaveTheNHSFromTheToryVultures) 1655818048
\u201cMike Lynch RMT keeps calling Tory Chris Philp a liar\n\nPhilp smirks \n\n#Newsnight\u201d— UK is with EU (@UK is with EU) 1655762933
But Lynch didn't call it a day. Today, appearing on Politics Live, the union boss said another Tory MP was "talking nonsense" when he talked about negotiations to modernise the rail industry and said Lynch "should apologise" for the disruption the strikes are causing.
\u201cJonathan Gullis(Tory MP) - 3% with modernisation is a very good offer.. \n\nMick Lynch(RMT) - Jonathan should apologise for talking nonsense, as none of that is true... I can't settle this dispute with a backbench MP who is just reading of a script. \n\n#PoliticsLive\u201d— Haggis_UK \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@Haggis_UK \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa) 1655811696
It comes as some 40,000 railway workers are striking for three days this week in what is the largest walkout seen in the UK for more than 30 years.
RMT say they are striking over pay, conditions, job cuts and threats to pensions. The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said talks remained a matter for the employers. He said the strikes were being “orchestrated by some of the best-paid union barons, representing some of the better-paid workers in this country, which will cause misery and chaos to millions of commuters”.
The union wants a 7 per cent pay rise and has rejected an offer of 2 per cent with a further 1 per cent tied to job cuts.
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