Labour’s decision to offer train drivers a hefty pay hike was furiously debated on GB News.
Steve Hedley from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and GB News star Martin Daubney locked horns on the matter as the latter accused Labour of being a soft touch.
Tensions boiled over as Hedley suggested Daubney was on the payroll of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
“We’re in this ridiculous situation where this is being passed off as a proper pay rise”, Hedley argued.
Daubney clashed with Hedley on GB News
GB NEWS
Martin hit back: “I put it to you that train drivers, who perform a hugely important job, are now on 70 grand average.
“They’re already sitting pretty. They get a public sector pension, paid by the taxpayer. Are you seriously suggesting they should still reject this?”
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Hedley then urged Daubney to “check his facts”, saying “we have had a disastrous privatisation.
“A lot of them don’t get a public sector pension at all. This could have been settled a long time ago and it’s a ridiculous argument to argue that other public sector workers shouldn’t get paid more, of course they should.
“We need a massive redistribution of wealth from parasitic elites, like your boss Rupert Murdoch.”
Martin then told Hedley to “check his facts” as Murdoch “has nothing to do with GB News”.
Sir Keir Starmer is offering train drivers a bumper pay rise
PA“Who is your boss then, some other parasite?”, Hedley probed. “Not Rupert Murdoch”, Martin quipped in response.
Hedley then furiously said: “I imagine they are away all year on public sector money and putting away a lot of money every week in some tax haven.”
Martin told the RMT representative to “stay on point”, asking: “What the jiggins has that got to do with it?”
The deal is set to be voted on by the Aslef union after it was proposed by Labour.
Aslef have wreaked havoc with their strike action
PA
Steve Hedley joined Martin Daubney on GB News
GB NEWS
It would include a backdated five per cent increase for 2019 to 2022, 4.75 per cent for 2022 to 2024 and a further 4.5 per cent for 2024 to 2025.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones told broadcasters on Thursday: “Resetting the relationship between Government and public sector workers in this instance is a good deal for the taxpayer because we are preventing strikes from happening.
“There is a direct cost to the economy if the strikes continue and we need to work together in partnership with workers and trade unions and business in order to get sustainable growth back into the economy.
“So this is a good deal for the taxpayer, it’s a good deal for the economy.”