STRIKING rail unions are accused of deliberately sabotaging major events as a furious blame-game with ministers erupted.
Aslef train drivers who walked out yesterday will also cause chaos on FA Cup final day next month after snubbing a £65,000 salary.
Striking rail unions have been accused of deliberately sabotaging Eurovision with their walkout
Meanwhile RMT staff are taking industrial action today as thousands of fans – including Ukrainian refugees – head to Liverpool for Eurovision.
Rail minister Huw Merriman put the boot in: “They either don’t have a good sporting and events calendar – or it’s been done deliberately.”
Militant Aslef boss Mick “Whacky” Whelan insisted it was purely “coincidental” and he had not set out to wreck the events.
He said: “If somebody can name me a day where there’s not an event in the UK that would get hit in some way if there’s disruption I’d love to know it.”
The union chief dismissed the government’s 8 per cent offer over two years to drivers as “risible”.
But Mr Merriman insisted the drivers are “well-paid” as it stands and would pocket thousands from the deal.
He railed: “If you look at the train driver situation, they are paid just under £60,000. The pay offer would take them to £65,000 for a 35-hour week.”
He added on Times Radio: “I’m very sorry for the inconvenience that passengers will have to bear.
“The sad reality of this situation is that there are offers on the table which have been given to both the train drivers’ union and the RMT.”
The row intensified as stats showed industrial action cost the economy £243million in the first three months of 2023.
And the CEBR analysis estimated an eye-watering £1.2billion hit over the last 12 months because of lost working days.
