Millions of commuters are set for more misery in the run-up to Christmas after union boss Mick Lynch ruled out cancelling strikes following crunch talks today
The RMT chief said that his members were "once bitten, twice shy" after calling off a strike two weeks ago, which he said did not result in any progress in talks over pay and conditions.
Union bosses met industry chiefs and transport politicians on Wednesday in a bid to avert the strike.The RMT boss said the meeting was "positive" because they had "got rid of the bellicose monsters that we used to have".He said transport secretary Mark Harper has committed to writing to him saying "how he sees this going forward and taking forward steps towards a resolution".
Mr Lynch added that he was unclear if the railway executives the union was speaking to even had the power to negotiate. The strikes come in addition to major repair works already scheduled on key rail routes, with the double threat likely to result in many Christmas plans being brought to a halt.
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