Further rail strikes across Great Britain ‘very likely’, warns RMT chief

theguardian.com:

Further rail strikes are “very likely” after the latest wave of industrial action, a senior trade union leader has warned as transport services were disrupted by the latest strikes over pay and conditions.

Football fans and festivalgoers were among those affected by strikes on Saturday by tens of thousands of rail workers which were estimated to have left just 20% of the networking running.

Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union (RMT), said that public support for action by his members was “entrenching” as he rejected suggestions they would agree to an offer already on the table if it was put to a vote.

“I’ve got to say that it’s very likely given the gap between us at this time,” he told BBC Breakfast on Saturday, when asked if the union could take more action at a later date on top of what was already scheduled.

His comments come on the third consecutive day of industrial action by transport workers this week.

Network Rail, which manages the railway network across Great Britain, and several train companies faced disruption on Saturday due to striking workers from the RMT and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA).

Rail services will be substantially reduced, with only about a fifth – about 4,300 out of the usual 20,000 – running and half of the lines closed.

Trains will operate only between about 7.30am and 6.30pm, while Sunday morning train services will also be affected.

“I speak to thousands of our members every week, we consult at least 600 Network Rail reps on a weekly basis and we know exactly what the mood of our members is,” Lynch said.

He added that management-grade members of the smaller TSSA union, who did vote to accept a pay deal, “have been bribed to break this