BITTER BLAME GAME ON STRIKE MISERY

»» WAR OF WORDS AS MINISTER ACCUSES UNION OF TRYING TO WRECK CHRISTMAS

- Nicholas Cecil, Ross Lydall, David Bond and Rachael Burford

TRANSPORT Secretary Mark Harper clashed today with the boss of the militant RMT union over who is to blame for inflicting Christmas season misery by paralysing England’s rail network.

On the first day of a series of walk-outs by train workers, the two men were embroiled in a war of words over the industrial action as many commuters struggled to get to work in freezing conditions. Mr Harper said the Government would not blink first in the Winter of Discontent” stand-off with unions striking on the railways, the NHS and in other sectors.

Condemning the RMT walkouts this month, he told GB News: These rail strikes are going to force some families to have another virtual Christmas. That is terrible when the unions have had a very reasonable pay offer.”

But RMT general secretary Mick Lynch hit back, saying: I have no intention of spoiling people’s Christmas. The Government is contributing to that spoiling of the people’s Christmas because they’ve brought these strikes on by stopping the companies from making suitable proposals.”

In a tetchy interview on Good Morning Britain, Mr Lynch was grilled by presenter Richard Madeley over whether the rail strikes were targeting people at Christmas and could put hoteliers, restaurateurs and retailers out of business during a normally busy time of year.

Mr Lynch responded: We’re not targeting Christmas. It isn’t Christmas yet, Richard, I don’t know when your Christmas starts but mine starts on Christmas Eve.” But Mr Madeley branded that statement as disingenuous”, adding: Commercial Christmas starts in December, you know that.”