Mick Lynch shuts down BBC host in argument over strike action

Looks like we’ve got another Mick Lynch masterclass here. The RMT union boss has once again set the record straight while doing his media rounds on Saturday this morning, and was quick to dismiss the debate in favour of restricting strike action for UK workers.

What is the Minimum Service Agreement?

The proposed “Minimum Service Agreement” from the Conservative Government would, if approved, limit certain professions from downing tools. According to the draft law, this would be enforced to keep a basic level of public service available during industrial disputes.

These new terms would extend to the rail industry, which has been protesting for a fair pay deal and better conditions for its workers since last year. Mick has very much been the Lynch-pin heading these strikes, and he’s got a stark warning for the public.

The union leader believes the Minimum Service Agreement is a brazen attempt to ‘ban strikes’ in Britain. He lambasted the Tories, saying that they were ‘incapable of winning the argument’, so have resorted to more strong-arm tactics instead.

Mick Lynch goes in on the Tories, says they are planning ‘a ban on strikes’

BBC host Naga Munchetty had presented a claim that the government were instead looking to ‘guarantee enough workers were present’ whenever strikes take place. However, this was a soft ball for Mick Lynch, and he was all too happy to knock it out of the park:

“This is an attack on civil liberties. The Tories have lost the argument about the railways, so now they are trying to ban strikes. If you’ve got signal workers or train guards, they will be banned from taking industrial action under the Minimum Service Agreement.“

“They will spread this out to every section of the economy, because the Tories are incapable of winning an argument with workers. So they won’t debate or negotiate these issues, they are simply going to ban strikes instead. That’s what these laws mean.”

“There’s no agreement here, they are an imposition on the country. People will regret this forever if it goes ahead. No democratic society bans its trade unions from taking strike action. Whenever there is oppression in this world, trade unions are the first to suffer.” | Mick Lynch

You can watch Mick Lynch’s forensic argument in defence of strike action here:

Tom Head

Hailing from Nottingham, Tom Head has had a journalism career that's taken him across the world. He spent five years as a political reporter in South Africa, specialising in the production digital content. The 30-year-old has two cats, a wonderful wife, and a hairline that's steadily making a retreat.