TSSA attacks zombie government as ‘missing in action’

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has lambasted what he called a "zombie government" for being “missing in action” over both the national rail dispute and the cost of living crisis.

Union members are due to walkout at Network Rail and train operating companies on the 18 and 20 August in a dispute over pay, job security and conditions, and have had no offer, meaningful or otherwise, which would avert the strikes.

Union boss Cortes accused Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps of tying the hands of train bosses, while also hitting out at Tory Ministers for failing to grip the economic crisis, with predictions of a looming winter energy crisis which could see blackouts and huge hikes in bills.

Commenting, Cortes said: “It’s frankly both ridiculous and reckless that with just over a week before many of our members go out on strike there have been no revised and improved offers from their bosses.

“It seems it's not just the Prime Minister and Chancellor who have gone missing in action as the Tory cost of living crisis deepens but the Transport Secretary has also gone AWOL.

“Gordon Brown is right – Parliament must be recalled now as the Tory cost of living crisis is all but out of control. This zombie government has nothing to say on the fear facing millions of our fellow citizens in the coming months – including the possibility of blackouts.

“They are a vacuum not a government. For his part Grant Shapps should either get directly involved in talks to resolve our rail dispute or get out of the way and allow train bosses to freely negotiate with our union to reach a deal which averts these strikes.”