Labour MP breaks ranks by slamming militant union leaders for clobbering hard working Brits with Christmas strikes
A LABOUR MP has shamed Jeremy Corbyn by criticising militant union leaders for clobbering hard working Brits with Xmas strikes.
Meg Hillier broke ranks and warned unions had to be careful as they “could be shooting themselves in the foot”.
The MP - chair of the cross-party Public Accounts Committee - said: “It is absolutely right that people should have the right to strike but I think it is a very unfortunate combination for people travelling.
“And I think that all trade unions need to really think about the impact on the people they are actually there to serve, their customers or their passengers.
“There needs to be a bit of a wake-up call.”
It marked the first time a Labour MP has been brave enough to criticise unions since the latest spate of industrial action targeting Southern Railways, the Post Office and British Airways was announced.
Mr Corbyn has repeatedly refused to criticise the union movement.
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott has insisted the industrial disputes were “genuine” and the unions were “entitled to take their strategy forward”.
Her nod of approval comes as commuters on Southern Railway brace themselves for yet more chaos as RMT conductors stage another walkout on Monday.
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British Airways cabin crew are set to go on strike for two days – Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
ACAS is holding talks to avert the strike on Tuesday, but BA insists they have contingency plans in place to ensure barely any services at all are affected.
Workers at the biggest Post Offices in the country will go on strike for up to 6 days from Monday.
And 1,500 check in staff at regional airports across the UK are set to go on strike from Friday.
RMT president Sean Hoyle had said “rule No.1” for his union was to overthrow the capitalist system.
Adding fuel to claims the union action is politically motivated, he told activists last month he wanted to drown Tory “b*****ds in spit”.
The RMT have dismissed the “conspiracy” claims.
Furious Tories have urged Theresa May to draw up emergency powers to make it harder for staff at essential services such as rail to go on strike.
Separately, Lord Heseltine said: “You cannot have small groups of people holding society to ransom, regardless of personal inconvenience or cost.”
Downing Street has said it would only say its priority was getting trade unions around a table with Southern Railways to end “the misery facing commuters”.
A No.10 spokesman said: “In this Parliament we have already passed legislation to provide people with better protection from undemocratic industrial action.