Rail strike to affect train services in Sussex

Thousands of workers from across the country will be striking in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.

It began today and there will be another strike on Saturday, August 20.

Southern and Thameslink are warning over travel disruption on Friday, August 19, as well as Sunday, August 21. Both operators are warning to only travel if necessary.

Glynde Station near Ringmer

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), said he fears finding a solution will not be possible because of “political interference” as workers stage another rail strike.

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain from Euston Station on Thursday, he said the union have been working with Network Rail and the train operating companies but “the gap between us is still there”.

“We’ve got to find a way to bridge that but I fear that because of the political interference that’s happening with the public transport and the Treasury, we’re not able to do that,” he said.

Mick Lynch. Picture from PA

“We’ve also got a dispute tomorrow with London Underground – which is more of the same that the funding from the railway has been cut and that means an attack on rail workers across the land and I think many workers are suffering from that at this moment.

“They’re not getting a square deal but we’ll keep working with the companies to get a negotiated settlement and as soon as we can do that, will put it to our members and hopefully we can get the railway back providing service the that public needs.”

He later added: “We will work those problems through but what we need is the management to have the ability to negotiate and I think this has been has been partially caught up in the Tory leadership election or selection process that they’re going through and I think because those candidates have both both taken a turn to the hard right in this country, it’s very difficult to find the the ability to create a settlement.”