 He added: 'The Secretary of State has got to decide what his stance is. 'If he unlocks some funding and unlocks some new positions of principle, then there could be a settlement to this dispute very quickly.' Fresh rail strikes will be held on November 5, 7 and 9, crippling services on those days. Network Rail urged passengers to only travel if necessary, warning only one in five trains will run, and only between 7.30am and 6.30pm. Mr Harper today said he was 'very happy' to meet unions after his predecessor Grant Shapps refused to do so. He told LBC: 'The negotiations are obviously going to take place between the unions and the employers. "But I think it's helpful for ministers to meet trade union leaders and to listen to their concerns. "I'm very happy to do that an){kind=link}
RMT union chief Mick Lynch warned of fresh disruption in the run-up to Christmas and urged Transport Secretary Mark Harper to break a seven-month strike dispute over pay, conditions and maintenance job cuts
Rail strikes could last all winter unless the new Transport Secretary agrees to compromise, a union chief has warned.
Mick Lynch laid down the gauntlet to Mark Harper after the top Tory was given a Cabinet job in Rishi Sunak ‘s reshuffle.
Asked if strike action could continue into Spring 2023, the RMT general secretary told the Mirror: “It could.
“I don’t want that, it’s not my plan. We don’t have a plan for an end date or âit’s got to continue’.