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Kate Plummer
Jun 22, 2022
Tory MP calls rail workers striking 'Putin's friends'
Independent
A Tory MP has claimed striking railway workers are "Putin's friends" who are allowing Russia to "enjoy self-inflicted distraction".
Speaking on Sky News, Tobias Ellwood called on unions to call off the planned strikes on Thursday and Sunday and said they were causing "self-harm".
He said: “We're talking about the cost of living crisis here. We face huge economic headwinds yet here we are causing such huge self-harm as the country is brought to a halt.
“I think Russia must be enjoying this self-inflicted distraction, pleased to see that the one government in Europe that is actually standing up to Putin is completely distracted in this way.
“I do hope the unions now call off future planned strikes ... this isn’t just disrupting commuters, including key workers, but also students as well and indeed the hospitality sector.”
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He added: “It’s also armed forces weekend this Saturday and that’s where we say thank you to those who serve and have served.
“I say to the unions ’please don’t be Putin’s friend - return to the talks today so we can get the country moving again.”
It comes after around 40,000 members of the RMT union went on strike on Tuesday. The RMT is advocating for lower-earning employees' wages to be raised by 7 per cent, however employers have only agreed to a maximum of 3 per cent.
Someone was bound to spin the current affairs wheel and land it on Russia when arguing about the strikes but in doing so, people thought Ellwood was being ridiculous:
\u201cHey Tobias, Putin won't be enjoying the rail strike 1% as much as he's enjoying the Brexit catastrophe. #BrexitHasFailed #ToryLiars https://t.co/ThE1Eh1uVW\u201d— Marie-Ann Detests Tories & Brexit \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 (@Marie-Ann Detests Tories & Brexit \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7) 1655892992
\u201cI\u2019ve heard it all now. \n\nThe RMT is being \u2018Putin\u2019s friend\u2019 in providing a distraction to Ukraine and armed forces weekend says Tobias Ellwood. \n\nAre there any more convoluted, ridiculous ways to depict striking workers campaigning for the right to a living wage ?\u201d— Angie #NotMovingOn (@Angie #NotMovingOn) 1655884138
\u201cWorkers asking not to take a 7-10% real terms pay cut are Putin\u2019s friend, but MPs representing a party sloshing in Russian money, who got a \u00a32,200 pay rise last April, are just decent ordinary folk.\n\nTobias Elwood can do one.\u201d— Ash Sarkar (@Ash Sarkar) 1655892824
\u201cTory MP, Tobias Elwood, claims the RMT are \u2018Putin\u2019s friend\u2019 by going on strike. \n\nA cheap man taking a cheap shot. An absurd thing to say which also undermines foreign policy decisions - when you use these terms so freely people stop listening.\u201d— Aaron Bastani (@Aaron Bastani) 1655889036
\u201c"Don't be Putin's friend - return to the talks today" says @Tobias_Ellwood to RMT.\n\nWhat an absurd thing to say. And very immature framing. I had regarded Ellwood as sensible\u2026 but this is daft as a brush.\n\n\u201d— Mike Galsworthy \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Mike Galsworthy \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1655890718
Just another day in Tory Britain.
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