The leader of the UK's largest rail workers' union has called for a special summit to stop the chaos in the sector, amid continuing strike action.
Mick Lynch, secretary general of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, has written to Transport Secretary Mark Harper to call for a meeting between unions, employers and government, to resolve the “toxic” dispute.
RMT members walked off the job on Saturday, the day of the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, while the network was brought to a halt by a strike by the train drivers' union Aslef on Friday.
Mr Harper said that the industrial action was “cynically” targeting the Eurovision event, a charge the RMT denied.
'Worse disruption for months to come'
In his letter to the Transport Secretary, Mr Lynch, said that it was clear to his members and “the wider public that private train operation is failing”.
“However, the actions of your government, up to this moment, have compounded this failure tenfold, creating chaos on our railways, not least in the management of the rail dispute which threatens to do lasting damage to the rail industry,” he wrote.
“While we have reached agreements for rail workers with the Scottish and Welsh governments your government's management of the dispute is set to plunge our railways into even more and worse disruption for months to come.
“Instead of facilitating a resolution, your government has repeatedly torpedoed negotiations. Instead of bringing management and unions together, you are driving a deeper wedge between them.”
Aslef is also planning strike action on May 31 and June 3, which is the day of football's FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London.
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
