United Kingdom’s trade union, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), has announced a planned strike in the next days of June.
Responding to Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport of the UK, comments on the national rail dispute and potential changes to allow agency workers to break strikes, RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch said, “Grant Shapps needs to stop smearing the RMT and unshackle the rail operating companies so they can come to a negotiated settlement that can end this dispute.”
Lynch noted that “railway workers voted overwhelmingly for strike action in defence of their jobs and for a pay rise that deals with the rising cost of living. It is insulting to them to suggest they do not understand the issues that affect their daily lives or cannot make a democratic decision by themselves.”
Mick Lunch went on to add, “We already have the most restrictive anti-democratic trade union laws in Western Europe and if the government attempts to reduce our rights further, the RMT along with the rest of the trade union movement will mount the fiercest resistance possible.”
Maersk said in a recent advisory that it is aware of the RMT Union’s plan for strike action across network rail on 21, 23 and 25 June.
The planned strike is expected to cause significant disruption across the United Kingdom, according to the Danish company, which noted, “our planners are working closely with the rail freight operators every day to understand the overall impact this will have on inland operations, and we will be able to communicate a bigger picture in terms of service omissions and schedule amendments to you in due course.”
Maersk said it will try to mitigate the impact of strike action “within the constraints of operational feasibility, should it go ahead as planned.”
The Copenhagen carrier recommended that customers get in touch with their customer experience representative to discuss options for advancing and pre-positioning cargo in order to mitigate the impact on the inbound flow of goods.
