Industrial Action

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 1:14 pm on 10 January 2023.

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Photo of Grant Shapps Grant Shapps The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 1:14, 10 January 2023

My hon. Friend is right. These so-called forever strikes, which have continued for month after month on the railways, are particularly hurting rural communities. It is easy sometimes for people to imagine that those affected will just sit at home on Zoom or Teams and have those conversations. That view of the world is much easier for someone in a desk job, perhaps in management. It is much harder for someone in a rural community or for a hospital porter or cleaner who needs to get to the hospital. The very people being hurt most by these strikes that never seem to come to a conclusion on the railways are the hardest-up in society. This Government will stand behind them with minimum service levels.