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ail unions were told on Tuesday to let London “get back to work” by calling off strikes crippling the transport network this week.
Many people were having to work from home rather than join the “Great Return to Work” after the Christmas break as so few trains were running.
Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers told The Standard: “These strikes are unjustified deeply irresponsible. They will cause misery to millions, as well as damaging the recovery of rail passenger numbers after Covid.”
The Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet added: “The unions should call off their industrial action right now so that our capital city can get back to work.”
Cities of London and Westminster Tory MP Nickie Aiken stressed: “It’s disappointing that the unions insist on continuing their disruption.
“The damage the previous strikes, particularly during the run up to Christmas has been catastrophic for the hospitality sector.
“It’s time for the unions to return to the negotiations.”
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail and 14 train operators were staging two 48-hour walkouts from Tuesday and Friday, while drivers in the Aslef union will strike on Thursday.
Ministers have blamed the walkouts on the unions.
However, the Liberal Democrats and Mayor of London put the spotlight on the Government.
Lib-Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton, said: “This Government has betrayed commuters at every turn.
“Rail fares have been hiked, services slashed and now even more strike chaos. There has never been a worst time to be a London commuter.”
Mayor Sadiq Khan emphasised: “Nobody wants to see this long-running strike action continue to impact on our city.
“Strikes are always a sign of failure and the Government has let this dispute run on for far too long. Workers deserve fair pay and conditions, and it’s about time ministers began being competent and negotiated to put an end to this disruption for the good of our city and country.”
Passengers seeking to return to the office and other workplaces were being warned to expect “significant disruption” as only a limited number of trains will run from Tuesday.
The advice is to only travel if absolutely necessary, allow extra time and check when first and last trains will depart.
There may also be disruption to services on Sunday as the striking workers return to their duties.
On RMT strike days, around half of the network will shut down, with only about 20 per cent of normal services running.
Trains that do run will start later and finish much earlier than usual – with services typically running between 7.30am and 6.30pm on the day of the strike.
The train drivers’ strike on Thursday will affect 15 operators and will result in even fewer services running, with some companies operating “very significantly reduced” timetables.
Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “No-one wants to see these strikes go ahead, and we can only apologise to passengers and to the many businesses who will be hit by this unnecessary and damaging disruption.
“This dispute will only be resolved by agreeing the long overdue reforms to working arrangements needed to put the industry on a sustainable footing, rather than unions condemning their members to losing more pay in the new year.”
But Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said there “is an unprecedented level of ministerial interference” preventing a settlement to the dispute.
He said: “The Government is blocking the union’s attempts to reach a negotiated settlement with the rail employers.
“We will continue our industrial action campaign while we work towards a negotiated resolution.”
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said the union is “in it for the long haul”, adding: “We don’t want to go on strike but the companies have pushed us into this place.
“We are always happy to negotiate – we never refuse to sit down at the table and talk, but these companies have offered us nothing, and that is unacceptable.”
Picket lines will again be mounted outside main railway stations across the country including in London, in a repeat of what became a familiar sight last year.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The Government has demonstrated it is being reasonable and stands ready to facilitate a resolution to rail disputes. It’s time the unions came to the table and played their part as well.
“Inflation-matching pay increases for all public sector workers would cost everyone more in the long term – worsening debt, fuelling inflation, and costing every household an extra £1,000.”
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