Following months of industrial action over the deadlocked dispute, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are set to stage two 48-hour strikes next week. Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, has written to Rishi Sunak, saying that a meeting between the two men is now the best chance of making any progress. Mr Lynch stated that based on press reports, Transport Secretary Mark Harper’s appearance this week before the Transport Committee, and what he has been told directly by Rail Delivery Group negotiators, No 10 is “directing the mandate for the rail companies and has torpedoed the talks.” There is no reason why this dispute could not be settled in the same way that RMT has resolved disputes in Scotland and Wales,” Mr Lynch wrote in his letter. Pay settlements for 2022 have been agreed upon where the Scottish and Welsh governments have had responsibility for mandates, and neither of these settlements has been conditional on cutting staffing and eroding safety, security, and accessibility. It is already a national scandal that your government has been paying the train companies not to settle the dispute, indemnifying them to the tune of £300 million so that they have no incentive to reach an agreement. It’s unclear to me why, on top of that, your government has now sabotaged the talks, but I now believe that a meeting with yourself represents the best chance of resuming progress.” We have a responsibility to look into every possible option for resolving this dispute, and I’m willing to do my part; I hope you’ll agree to meet with me.” “It’s incredibly disappointing that, despite a new and improved deal offering job security and a fair pay rise, the RMT continues to hold Christmas hostage with more damaging strikes,” a Government spokesperson said. The government has done its part by facilitating a fair and reasonable offer, and the RMT and its members should vote to approve this agreement and put an end to this harmful disruption.”