Julia Hartley Brewer clashes with the RMT's Eddie Dempsey

Train services are disrupted across Britain as thousands of railway workers stage their second strike of the week.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators walked out after talks failed to resolve a bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions.

Just one in five trains are running on Thursday and these are mostly restricted to main lines, with around half of the network closed.

Services started later than normal at 7.30am and will shut down early at 6.30pm.

The Government announced plans to change the law to enable businesses to supply skilled agency workers to plug staffing gaps during industrial action.

Ministers pointed out that, under current trade union laws, employment businesses are restricted from supplying temporary agency workers to cover for strikers, saying it can have a “disproportionate impact”.

The Government said the legislation will repeal the “burdensome” legal restrictions, giving companies affected by strike action the freedom to tap into the services of employment businesses which can provide skilled, temporary agency staff at short notice.

Network Rail welcomed the move but Labour and unions condemned it as a “recipe for disaster”.

#talktv #talkradio #juliahartleybrewer

[talktv]

How much sympathy do you have with the rail unions?

[kb]

Not one CEO has been on TV to explain why profits are up 73% while telling their workers they must have another pay cut.

[parmy]

if you were looking for the worst way to run a rail system, you dont have to look much further than the UK, losses socialized, profits privatised

[trevaudio]

Love them or hate them….Dempsey and lynch are handling the media brilliantly and running rings around every mp they come up against….and schapps is terrified of them !

[andyb]

Train companies paid out nearly £800m to shareholders last year before telling rail unions that employees must take a real-terms pay cut for them to stay afloat.
Says it all!

[nolan]

She hardly clashes with him. Rather, he is a charming individual who puts his case forward very astutely

[steveaustin]

The more i hear these fellas the more I agree with them.

[garrymcfadden]

We are being robbed by the rich, the corporations and the politicians who work for them. I support all workers

[scottmcmahon]

The Tories tell workers they need to "be realistic" in pay demands, but I don't see them telling landlords, oil companies or the energy firms to "be realistic".

[RBTVN]

Up the RMT, up Eddie, up the Workers! Working Britain, take note!

[fenbops]

MP’s got a pay rise no problem when they’re one of the most undeserving. That’s all I’m gonna say.

[donnyE]

Top class work from the RMT, Mick & Eddie! Up the workers ✊🏾 ✊🏼✊🏻🔥

[Twmpa]

Since privatisation, the UK has one of the worst run rail systems in the world which is essentially a cash cow for the directors and shareholders of the private companies involved. Ticket prices for the public are extortionate whilst the government also has to pile vast amounts of subsidy money into the industry as well.

[johnrobertbainbridge]

MPs have no problem getting pay rises? Good pay rises

[audreymcgready]

Anyone saying they don't support the workers. I hope you remember that when it comes to your profession and wages. We are not the slaves of the rich. 100% support.

[earlcollins]

He answered her questions brilliantly, , never once got animated cool calm and collected, , he will be the top man one day .

[JackChurchill]

Honestly - if Strikes do NOT cause disruption then they're pointless. They're meant to cause disruption. From the 19th century onwards that was the point. We won't work until you pay us more.

The problem is that our main remaining unions are all public services. When the workers of a factory went on strike, the factory owners lost money; the bosses were harmed. When teachers or nurses go on strike, no one with the authority to pay them are harmed; only the public. THAT is why the public no longer support strikes as a concept.

[DavidJames-rzlt]

Can i just show respect to Julia Hartley Brewer for having a fair, educated and friendly conversation with Eddie Dempsey. There are too many presenters, journalist who are full of hate and do not offer an unbiased debate. Piers Morgan and Dan Wootton come to mind.

[johnholmes]

Julia Hartley-Brewer suddenly worried about people travelling to Glastonbury. Yeah, right 😆

[ccamRazr]

Prices won't come down regardless of what people are paid do I say fight for the best deal you can get.

This "hold the line" rubbish is about other people's interests, mostly big business and government.

Don't let them think you shouldn't keep up with cost of living whilst the divide between rich and poor grows.