Latest updates: Mark Harper says minimum service level legislation may help ‘in medium term’ but not for current action
In various interviews before Christmas, and in his appearance before the Commons transport committee, Mark Harper, the transport secretary, refused to deny claims that the government scuppered chances of a deal to resolve the rail strike by insisting on the inclusion of clauses that would force the RMT to accept the extension of driver-only operation for trains. But in an interview with Sky News this morning, when asked if the government had intervened to block a deal, he said that “absolutely isn’t true”. He went on:
In fact, since I became transport secretary a couple of month ago I met all the union leaders, I tried to change the tone of the discussions and I said that ministers would help facilitate the trade unions and the employers, that is the train operating companies and Network Rail, getting around the table.
[Harper] is not telling you the truth, because we had a document with the train operating companies that did not include driver-only operation. It was taken away for approval in Whitehall at the Department for Transport and they inserted about eight or nine bullet points that completely undermined the negotiations. That was a direct intervention of government ministers, we know that to be true.
If he is saying that didn’t happen, he is simply not telling you the whole truth.
Ministers are seriously considering offering increased holiday allowances, pension benefits and bonuses.
Whitehall sources say the government will “hold firm” over pay with healthcare and transport unions believing additional benefits could break the deadlock.
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