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The transport secretary has said season ticket-holders caught up in rail strikes will be able to claim compensation – and made an 11th-hour plea to workers not to follow the “militant” unions.
Grant Shapps admitted the three-day walkout next week is “going to cause misery” and said the strikes are an attempt to “derail reforms that are critical” and “designed to inflict damage at the worst possible time”.
In a direct message to staff, he said: “I appeal directly to rail workers, who I think are less militant than their union leaders.
“Don’t risk striking. Don’t risk the industry and your future. Don’t risk striking yourselves out of a job. Don’t pitch yourselves against the public.
“Let’s fix this situation and get back to building a better railway.”
Mr Shapps said the government is planning to introduce a “range of options” to respond to future industrial action, including the use of agency workers.
He also said “we will ensure season ticket holders will be able to claim full compensation on strike days”.
More than 40,000 staff at Network Rail and 13 train operators are expected to walk out next week on Tuesday 21, Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 June in a dispute over pay and redundancies.
Network Rail warned the strikes will cause six days of disruption because of the knock-on effect on services on the days in between.
“Make no mistake, unlike the past 25 years, when rising passenger demand year after year was taken for granted by the industry, today the railway is in a fight,” Mr Shapps said in a speech at a train depot in north London.
“It’s not only competing against other forms of public and private transport. It’s in a battle with Zoom, Teams and remote working.
“In case the unions haven’t noticed, the world has changed.”
Talks aimed at averting crippling strikes on the railways are continuing but there is little hope of a last-minute deal.
Network Rail said only around half of Britain’s rail network will be open on strike days with a very limited service running on lines.
On lines that are open during the strikes, services will operate from 7.30am to 6.30pm only and not all stations will be served, the company said.
It has advised passengers “who must travel” to “plan ahead” to ensure they can complete their journeys within this window.
Members of the RMT and Unite unions who work on the London Underground will also strike on 21 June.
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