RMT boss hits back at sister union as row over train strikes escalates

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The RMT boss has hit out at the head of his sister union after he claims he put jobs at risk by continuing rail strikes.

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, has hit back at Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) leader Peter Pendle, accusing him of 'knowing nothing about our industry'.

This came after Mr Pendle told The Independentthat the RMT lacked 'strategic thinking' and accused the union leadership of blowing up a pay deal it had reached with the rail companies.

The escalating row between two of Britain's biggest rail unions comes as thousands of RMT members - including station staff, train managers and catering staff - have took part in a new series of strikes in a dispute over wages, jobs and conditions.

Asked about Mr. Pendle's comments, Mr. Lynch said the TSSA was "largely irrelevant to the railroad" and risked laying off thousands of its members.

He told LBC that Mr. Pendle had nothing to do with negotiating the proposed deal, which included a 5% wage increase and no mandatory layoffs until 2025.

"Peter Pendle has never worked on the railroad. He knows nothing about our industry," he said.

The proposed deal predates Mr. Pendle's appointment, but the TSSA has been consistently involved in discussions with the Rail Delivery Group acting on behalf of rail operating companies. According to the Trades Union Congress, the RMT has 81,199 members, while the TSSA has 17,764.

In an attack scathingly, Mr. Lynch added: "They have decided to go into this dispute and give up and therefore thousands of their members will be fired if they are not careful. They hardly have anyone working on the railroad anymore." They are therefore a little unreal...