The government is saying that they are going to bring in agency workers.
My question to you is I'm guessing that some of your members will still stay on
the picket lines.
What will they do if agency workers try to cross those picket lines?
>> We will pick it then.
What do you think we'll do?
We'll run a picket line and we'll ask them not to go to work.
>> Okay so that is a man named Mick Lynch.
He's a general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and
Transport workers.
A British train union that is currently on strike trying to keep their jobs and
asking just for a 7% increase in wages.
Before we see more of that amazing exchange,
let's just a little bit more context.
So they had last minute talks that failed to bring about any agreements
on Monday the rail strikes got underway and
will be the biggest in the UK for more than 30 years.
The RMT strike involves 40,000 signallers, maintenance and
train staff working for Network Rail which is responsible for
infrastructure such as track stations and level crossings and 13 train operators.
RMT says that Network Rail,
excuse me is threatening to cut safety critical jobs as part of its
modernization program which would also include an increase in work hours.
That's fun and with inflation storing the union is asking for a pay rise that
mitigates the pain for its members against an inflation rate heading towards 11%.
The Union wants a rise of 7% and has already rejected a Network Rail
offer of 2% rise with a further 1% tied to job cuts.
So they're being offered peanuts, they'd like 7%.
You've got crazy inflation not just in the United States but here in the UK.
And then you have Mick who is being harangued by
this reporter who will not let go of the idea.
And we can talk about what that idea might be in her head that there's something
extra nefarious about a picket line.
Take a look at what keeps happening in this exchange.
>> Do you not know how?
>> They do anyway?
>> I very much know how a picket line works.
I'm much older than I look.
Mr Lynch, what will picketing involve?
>> Well you can see what picketing involves.
I can't believe this line of questioning picketing is standing outside
the workplace to try and encourage people who want to go to work not to go to work.
What else do you think it involves?
>> And what if they want-.
Well I just wondered what else it might involve because I very well remember
the picket lines in the 19, where are you going with Mr Lynch?
I'm asking you what your members would do Mr Lynch.
>> Which picket lines are you talking about?
>> Minor strike.
>> Yeah.
Does it look like the miner strike?
>> Okay, so this goes on like she will not give up this line of questioning and
I don't know about you guys but it feels like she's waiting for
him to say well then we blow it all up.
Then we just strap on some suicide vest like what is he,
she very much is leading his line of questioning and thinking and
will not let go of like that somehow this is going to turn violent and
I feel like that's the answer she wants.
Do you guys pick up on that as well?
>> Yeah, she's totally bathing it.
She's like well what will you do if they try and cross it and
then goes on to ask about prior strikes that got violent, it's absurd.
And I love his response.
I think everyone who is ever going to be interviewed on TV absolutely needs to take
notes.
Because he just doesn't accept the expected conduct and
the parameters of how you're supposed to act on news.
Instead of fumbling over his words and answering the question seriously he takes
an issue with the line of questioning as he should because it's absurd.
Here's this guy that's trying to get people better wages,
people who are struggling and he's being interrogated by someone who's like well
can people cross your picket line.
Someone whose salary is probably paid by corporate advertisers.
Someone who's probably not union friendly and so I love this.
You have no reason to be nice to someone like this and if you're on the news,
be an absolute menace to reporters who are treating you like this.
I love it, go Mick.
>> I agree, I agree with that.
I like his attitude.
I also love the way he says picketing is picketing is pretty fun as well.
But the only thing I will take issue with is that he seems to be having so much
fun taking the out of her in that that he keeps doing it over and over again.
After doing that once or twice,
the only tip I would give him to change it up is then go back to what you
wanna talk about, which is share the real reasons that you're picketing.
And don't let her waste the whole segment in this argument say you're clearly trying
to get me to say something that I'm not gonna say because it's not true.
We're here to peacefully picket, why?
Because we are not getting a pay raise even equal to the rise in inflation,
which is insane.
Why should rich business owners already get to take more of our hours for
less money?
That makes sense to nobody.
So what's your question again?
That's the way you prove upon it.
>> Sure, it seems like they both were at this like detente like they just were like
no, I'm not gonna budge, you budge and neither of them wanted to.
But Mick has been doing other media appearances in defense of the railway
strikers and workers who are demanding that 7% wage increase,
which is minimal compared to the amount of inflation there.
So, just take a look at some of his other appearance.
>> You've been accused severally in the last few weeks of being a Marxist.
It happened again last night.
A backbench, Tory Mps said you were a Marxist with no interest in anything other
than trying to tear down the government.
Now, are you or are you not a Marxist?
Because if you are a Marxist, then you're into revolution and
into bringing down capitalism.
So are you or aren't you?
>> [LAUGH] Richard,
you do come up with the most remarkable twaddle sometimes I can say.
>> [CROSSTALK] I'm saying that you're being accused of being a Marxist and
that's what's called, reporting.
>> I'm not a Marxist, I'm an elected official of the RMT.
I'm a working class bloke, leading a trade union dispute about jobs pay and
conditions of service.
>> You think this is a class struggle, class war.
>> There's a class aspect to everything in the economy,
there are lower paid people and there are wealthy people in this society.
And what's wrong in this society is that there is an imbalance between the people
that do the work to keep this country going,
who create the wealth of our civilization and don't get a fair share of that wealth.
Because it's going to people who are vastly wealthy should be comfortable with
back in working class people who are struggling.
And one of the ways that they can redress the imbalance is through industrial action
where negotiations fail.
What else are we to do?
Are we to plead, are we to beg, we want to bargain for our futures.
Mick Lynch taking on all of the UK is awful media and their skew.
I just have to point to this great graphic,
thank you to the producers who found this that saying showing that basically none
of this media campaign against the RMT is working.
The majority of UK adults say that rail strikes this week have been justified.
So 58% say it's justified, 34 say it's unjustified.
I can't remember anything both Ben and
Jessica are making the point that these are all like corporate media outlets.
Obviously they're not gonna be on the side of workers,
they're not even doing the fake populism thing that Fox News does cuz Fox News
doesn't even interview [LAUGH] unionizing workers who are on strike.
But I just love he's just this one man just kind of like ninja for
unionizing and striking in in the UK.
I love it.
>> Everyone who is simping for trains,
everyone who likes trains is getting accused of being a communist tonight.
And I'm gonna make a Charlie Kirk argument because there might be something to this,
there's probably a correlation between people who really like trains and
people who are Khamis.
I think it's probably the case, 90% sure as Charlie Kirk would say.
>> Great, that's why Joe Biden, right.
I mean, God, that Khamis, why won't he stop doing legislation that is socialist?
>> Yeah, those answers from Mick were much more in line with what I was suggesting is
just taking down people with very strong points.
And if you can excuse me from the frame for a second,
I'm gonna bring something back that might be a prop that might help this moment.
>> Train, I hope it's a train.
>> Hope it's a conductor's hat and a puppet.
>> I love it, I love it so much.
How can they give the railway workers a hard time?
I mean, we've got a-.
>> Mick, I hope you're watching.
Yeah. >> Mick,
are you out there tweet us at the show.
>> I am a member of the Communist Party.
>> Train.
Yes, it's a whole Mick would be very proud.
>> I mean, Sky News very upset.
That's a Marxist paraphernalia right there and I think we need to call that out.
>> To chew.
>> [LAUGH]