UNION bosses unleashed more weekend travel misery on passengers last night — targeting football fans for a second Saturday in a row.
Around 40,000 RMT staff will walk out on Saturday, October 8 in a bitter row over pay to “effectively shut down the network”.
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More strikes had already been announced for Saturday, October 1, and Wednesday, October 5.
RMT leader Mick Lynch praised new Transport Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan for meeting his union, but insisted he had “no option” but to strike as his pay demands were not met.
He said: “We will continue to negotiate in good faith, but the employers and government need to understand our industrial campaign will continue for as long as it takes.”
But Tory MP Greg Smith raged: “The strategy of strike, strike, strike is not going to win.
“I’m calling on them to stop this action for the sake of the leisure industry and economy, for stopping people from going to football matches, seeing friends and going out.”
“They should want secure and well-paid jobs but they are driving away their own customers.”
A Network Rail spokesman said: “This latest strike will again mean very significant disruption for passengers, and we’ll be asking people to only travel if absolutely necessary due to the reduced service that will be in place.”
More industrial action is set to wreak havoc during the Labour conference in Liverpool next Monday as the TSSA rail union begins a 24-hour walk out over pay, conditions and job security.
