Rail minister says RMT should scrap ‘appalling’ Eurovision practice strike
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has slammed rail unions for threatening strike havoc to coincide with the UK’s internet hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest. Speaking on the BBC this morning, Mr Harper known as on the RMT union to point out “solidarity” with Ukraine, and name off the strike.
Talking on Laura Kuenssberg’s present, Mark Harper mentioned the RMT’s resolution to strike on the day of the Eurovision finale is “cynical” and “so appalling”. The cause why that’s so appalling is it’s not our tune contest, we’re internet hosting it for Ukraine.
“I’ve met the head of Ukrainian railways, Putin’s targeting Ukrainian railways, there are hundreds of Ukrainian railway staff who have been killed.What we should be doing is being in solidarity with them and not targeting an event.”
The rail union has insisted the date of the deliberate strike is “not connected to Eurovision”, arguing that Trade Union legal guidelines power barons to offer two weeks’ discover earlier than industrial motion and Saturday May 13 is the “next available day”.
However unions may have opted for May 12, which might have prevented the commercial motion coinciding with the tune contest ultimate.
The Telegraph previously reported that the RMT’s concentrating on of Eurovision may spark renewed questions on hyperlinks between Russian separatists and one of many union’s high officers.
Assistant General Secretary Eddie Dempsey beforehand wrote a “gushing” obituary about Alexei Mozgovoi, a former Russia-backed militia chief of the rebel-held Donbas area in Ukraine.
The article, printed in 2015 however since deleted, mentioned Mr Mozgovoi: “led 3,000 volunteers – incorporating a communist battalion – within his Ghost Brigade… who have [been] resisting the so-called Anti-Terrorist Operation of the US/EU-backed Kiev junta for more than a year”.
The union responded to questions on his phrases, saying the RMT “does not support either Vladimir Putin or his actions in Ukraine”.
READ MORE: ‘Don’t be Putin friends’ Tory MP slams RMT as ‘Russia enjoying’ strike
Mr Harper additionally informed Times Radio: “I would have thought that the executive of rail unions in Britain would have wanted to show some solidarity and will protect events like Eurovision that we’re hosting for Ukraine rather than cynically targeting it”.
“So I’d say to them, put the offer that’s been made to you, which is fair and reasonable to your members, let your members decide.
“Call off your strikes and stop targeting events, which are aimed at supporting our friends and colleagues in Ukraine.”
He identified that the RMT in Network Rail voted overwhelmingly to just accept a pay supply from the federal government and finish the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and situations.
In a turnout of practically 90%, members voted 76% to 24% in favour of the deal.
However a really related supply by practice working corporations has been put to RMT executives and for a 3rd time the union government gained’t put it to members, as a substitute selecting to name strikes.
Earlier this week Downing Street accused the unions of concentrating on “displaced Ukrainians trying to attend Eurovision”, calling the strikes “vindictive”.
The walkout may also hit punters hoping to attend the FA Cup Final and Epsom Derby.