Rail strikes suspended for talks on new deal – but is anything new on offer?
Mick Lynch: he wasn’t holding back when he appeared on the BBC’s Question Time. Has anything changed?
Does Mick Lynch have a good reason to suspend rail strikes?
Here’s a quick summary of the story:
Mr Lynch, the RMT union’s general secretary, said
there had been “the promise of an offer” on pay from the rail operating companies.
However, when contacted by the BBC, rail employers and the government said their position had not changed.
If they’re not offering anything new, then there’s no reason to suspend strike action – is there?
The BBC’s report added that the suspension has been announced 11 days before a fresh RMT strike ballot is due to close on November 15.
Mr Lynch previously told the BBC that he expected workers to vote in favour, and warned that there could be strikes for another six months if no agreement is reached.
Will the new talks affect the way the ballot goes? Will they even take place before it finishes, so union members can be sure of the situation when they go to vote? Is the new offer – whatever it is – just an attempt to interfere with the result of the ballot?
Could Mr Lynch have behaved any differently?
This Writer isn’t sure he could have. But I wonder whether the future of rail services is being wagered on a form of negotiation brinkmanship.
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