Lizzie Cundy has lambasted Mick Lynch over the train strikes, accusing him of being “out for his own ego”.
Train passengers are facing major disruption on the last weekend before Christmas as rail workers continue their 48 hour walkout.
Lizzie Cundy joined Nana Akua on GB News
GB News
ScotRail is running only 12 services in the central belt, Fife, and the Borders after Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members at Network Rail walked out on Friday, following two days of strike action earlier in the week.
Talks between the leader of the RMT, train company employers and Rail Minister Huw Merriman on Thursday failed to make a breakthrough leaving a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions deadlocked.
ScotRail is running services on 12 routes between 7.30am and 6.30pm on Saturday.
The dispute does not involve ScotRail staff, but is having a major impact on the train operator’s ability to provide services as the RMT industrial action involves Network Rail staff in Scotland.
The RMT general secretary claimed that the union continues to receive strong support from the public, but Ms. Cundy disagreed.
Speaking to GB News’ Nana Akua, she said: “No, I am really fed up with it. And Mick Lynch saying that Christmas doesn't start till Christmas Eve shows that he is tone deaf to what is going on.
“The damage it is causing to businesses, the knock on effect and people's livelihoods is disgusting. And when the strike was on the other day, I was walking through the city, it was empty, and I walked into the pub to try and get some lunch and he was like, ‘Well, I had, like, 190 sittings, I've got three now’.
“It is ruining people's businesses and they're supposed to be for the workers, I'm sorry, cannot anymore hold this country to ransom. They are losing sympathy, I'm afraid.”
She continued: “I just think it's so unfair. It's toxic timing. We've had such a tough time with Covid as well.
“Families haven't been able to see each other and able to enjoy the joys of Christmas. I just think it is so cruel what he's doing.
“It's political, it's out for his own ego and I think he’d like to be a celebrity. He'll be in the jungle next.”
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch
Dominic Lipinski
Responding, Christine Hamilton said: “It's a political strike, isn't it? I mean, he's a political dinosaur. He's a hangover from the the 1970s trade union militants and he's just trying to get at the government.
“He knows perfectly well that many of his workers who he is purporting to represent are on massively more than the average wage.
“The average wage in the UK is £30,000. The average wage for a signaller is £56,000. Now, what are they striking for?”