UK Prime Minister Liz Truss appealed to railway employees to “get back to work” as unions prepare to resume walkouts in a clash with employers over pay, job security and working conditions.
The new premier said she aims to take a “constructive approach” to the dispute but that workers must avoid further disruption and abandon strikes planned for early October. Action scheduled for last week was put on hold as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Drivers in the Aslef union will strike at 12 train operating companies on Oct. 1 and 5, disrupting travel to and from the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers has also called an Oct. 1 walkout at track owner Network Rail Ltd. and 14 operating firms, while the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association is mulling strike dates.
Truss pledged during the Tory leadership contest to legislate for minimum service levels in critical national infrastructure within 30 days of becoming prime minister. Speaking to reporters during a United Nations summit in New York, she said she’d do so “as soon as possible,” though it might take “30 sitting days,” referring to those on which the House of Commons is active.
“I want this country to be successful,” Truss said. “And that means people being able to get to work. People being able to get on with their business.”
