Zarah Sultana among Labour MPs defying Keir Starmer to back striking rail workers

[dutchman]

She was pictured with nine other MPs on a picket line at London’s Victoria Station yesterday



Coventry MP Zarah Sultana is among a number of Labour MPs who have shown support for this week’s rail strikes - and by doing so defied Keir Starmer. The Labour leader ordered senior Labour MPs not to show support for the strikes, however not all have followed those orders.

Ms Sultana was pictured with nine other MPs on a picket line at London’s Victoria Station yesterday (Tuesday) on the first day of the strike, which resumes again tomorrow and will also take place on Saturday. And the Coventry South MP also voiced her support for striking rail workers on Twitter.

She said: “Polling shows that 58% of the public back the rail and tube strikes. There’s a simple reason for that: by striking for fair wages. @RMTunion members are fighting for all working people against greedy profiteers."

READ MORE:Coventry train station a ghost town as services all but grind to a halt

Frontbenchers Kate Osborne, Paula Barker and Navendu Mishra are also among those to have tweeted pictures of themselves at picket lines. The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also offered “solidarity” to the strikers.

It is understood that Labour may take disciplinary action against frontbench MPs who defy the call not to appear on picket lines, but it’s not expected immediately. Millions of rail passengers in England, Scotland and Wales have been hit by the strike, which started on Tuesday and is due to continue on Thursday and Saturday.

The RMT union - whose members voted to strike - is asking for a pay rise of at least seven per cent to offset the rising cost of living, but it says employers have offered a maximum of three per cent, on condition they also accept job cuts and changes to working practices.

A former adviser to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has warned there will be an “explosion” if the party disciplines any frontbenchers joining picket lines in support of striking rail workers. Simon Fletcher, who also advised former leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband, said there has been “a lot of simmering resentment and irritation” over the party’s current position.

Mr Fletcher said if people are disciplined for the “simple act of offering solidarity” to those striking, he thinks existing resentment among party ranks will “express itself much more strongly” on a local scale. Asked what would happen if Sir Keir removed frontbenchers from their jobs, or even took the whip away from them, for joining picket lines, he told LBC’s Tonight with Andrew Marr: “I think there would be an explosion.”

He said there had been “very widespread support” for the RMT union in this particular dispute, pointing to the decision of Labour’s Scottish leader, Anas Sarwar, to visit a picket line at Edinburgh Waverley. “There would be (a) huge explosion if there was disciplinary action threatened against people,” he added.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, told the PA news agency: “The Labour Party was founded by the trade unions and we expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions.”

[dutchman]

The RMT union - whose members voted to strike - is asking for a pay rise of at least seven per cent to offset the rising cost of living, but it says employers have offered a maximum of three per cent

I don't believe it's as simple as that? There are all sorts of ways the final wages bill can be much higher than the nominal increase.

[dutchman]