SOMETIMES a Tory may tell the truth. Step forward Huw Merriman, railways minister throughout Rishi Sunak’s premiership.
Responding to the pay deal reached between train drivers’ union Aslef and the train operators after government intervention, Merriman struck a very different note to his Conservative colleagues.
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to reach an agreement with all unions who were on strike. Having tried to bring in workplace reform to improve rail services and, holding my hands up, failed, I can understand why” ministers “have decided to cut a deal to end the uncertainty and move on with goodwill.”
He went further: “The demonisation of train drivers and those onboard and at stations, who carry out a difficult and skilled job for the safety of passengers, is completely unfair. These people work hard and should be shown more respect.
“Despite reports, I had a good working relationship with the rail union leaders and recognised their role representing members. I hope, by sticking my head up and accepting my part, others can show our rail workforce the respect and recognition they deserve and focus on the future.”
This outburst of sense has probably finished Merriman’s future in Conservative politics, but since he did not stand for re-election to the Commons last month, he may regard all that as behind him anyway.
His remarks stand in stark contrast to the pack of Tory dogs returning eagerly to their anti-union vomit. Former home secretary and leadership hopeful James Cleverly has opined with weary predictability that Labour is being “played by its union paymasters.”
In fact, the speedy resolution of the train drivers’ pay dispute, five inflation-raddled years after they last had an increase, by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh highlights just where the problem lay.
The continuing industrial action was entirely down to the Tory government, which refused to countenance a settlement with Aslef without a dramatic rewriting of train drivers’ working conditions. For the preceding year, train operators had not even engaged in talks with the union.
Such attitudes were mirrored across the public sector. It is curious that Tories who swear by the efficacy of the market are unable to grasp the consequences for the labour market of continual real pay reductions in the public services.
If public-sector pay lags behind comparable private-sector work, then labour will over time move towards the latter where possible in order to maintain beleaguered living standards.
The upshot is labour shortages in vital jobs, as we can see across the public sector today. Indeed, one of those areas is the railways, where there are too few train drivers. Year-on-year real pay cuts cannot help with recruitment.
That situation has been exacerbated by greedy operators who prefer to rely on overtime and rest day working rather than go to the expense of hiring and training new drivers. Many passengers will be familiar with cancellations due to a shortage of train crew.
Such problems underlie the continuing dispute between Aslef and the LNER operator on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). The union charges management with consistently breaking agreements on working arrangements, with a shortage of drivers being at the root of the problem.
It is disgraceful that a state-managed operator should be conducting itself with such a disregard for agreements and the interests of passengers.
Hopefully Louise Haigh, one of the new government’s more impressive ministers, can intervene to bring LNER bosses to their senses and keep trains running on the ECML.
After all, if Huw Merriman can recognise the value of unions on the railways, a Labour government should be able to as well.
