Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Monday’s papers are focused on the upcoming rail strikes that set to hit Britain – due to be the biggest strike in 30 years.
“Network derailed” is the Metro’s headline, the paper warns that commuters will scramble for the last train home tonight, before what it calls days of misery.
Unions are urging the government to stop attempting to divide workers by fanning the flames of the dispute over pay, jobs and conditions – that’s according to The Independent.
The online-only paper says they’ve written to Grant Shapps, calling on his to try to resolve the row. He has dismissed calls to intervene, claiming union bosses are gunning for industrial action.
The i leads with an interview with the general secretary of the RMT, Mick Lynch who warns that industrial actions could continue well into the autumn, saying the public should expect a long fight between unions and Network Rail.
The Daily Mirror’s take on the strikes is to suggest it could lead to a “summer of discontent.” Whilst the Sun draws parallels to the widespread industrial action that took place in the winter of 1978 and 1979, declaring “this country is returning to the 1970s.”
The Daily Express makes the strikes about politics. The paper says Mr Shapps has written to Sir Keir Starmer to say its staggering he has not condemned the strikes by what the papr calls militants hellbent on causing misery.
Shapps has warned the Labour leader that voters will never forgive his failure to speak out against the industrial action.
The Daily Telegraph reports that rail bosses are preparing for a “war of attrition” and sayings they are planning to offer cash bonuses to train signallers to cross picket lines.
“Summer strike plague spreads,” is the Daily Mail’s headline. The paper looks at all the upcoming strikes, reporting teachers, NHS staff, barristers and postal workers could go on strike – with unions balloting up to 1.5 million workers.
The Times looks at the government’s plan to attempt to overturn a legal ban on allowing agency staff to fill in for striking workers.