The Transport Secretary, , was interviewed today by Laura
Kuenssberg.
He was asked about the possibility of a deal being made that week
between the train operating companies, Network Rail, and the
trade unions regarding a pay dispute. He stated that since he
became Transport Secretary, he had tried to change the tone of
the discussions and had sat down with each of the union leaders
in an attempt to set up a way to reach a solution. He also
mentioned that himself and the Rail Minister had been
facilitating negotiations and that it was important for both the
traveling public and the taxpayer that a deal was reached.
When asked if he was optimistic about the possibility of a deal,
Harper stated that talks were underway and that there had been
some detailed talks the previous week between the RMT and Network
Rail and the train operating companies. He also mentioned that
more talks were to come and that this was how ultimately, a deal
would be reached.
He was also asked about reports of a higher pay offer being put
on the table. He confirmed that after meeting with the trade
union leaders, a better deal had been put on the table for rail
workers. However, he also emphasized the need for reform,
specifically on the maintenance side of the operation for Network
Rail and the rail companies, in order to have a proper seven-day
railway service that passengers could count on.
He hoped for a deal to be reached but did not want to put an
artificial timetable on it. He stressed that as soon as deadlines
were put on negotiations, it tended to lead to a bad deal. He
also mentioned that both the companies and the rail unions were
keen to reach an agreement, but the details needed to be hammered
out.
The full transcript of the interview is attached.
