Evening briefing: Today’s essential headlines
Energy price shock | British households could see their energy bills hit £500 for a single month by next year as Vladimir Putin’s latest gas supply cuts drive up prices across Europe, analysts have warned. A new report predicts that the energy price cap will rise to £3,420 at the next increase in October before surging to £3,850 in the first quarter of 2023. Read why the predictions are getting bleaker in our business live blog.
The big story: Truss vows to halt ‘militant unions’
It has been another day of frustration for rail commuters – but could the days be numbered for these kinds of walkouts?
Liz Truss has vowed to introduce new laws to prevent militant unions crippling the rail network within a month of taking office as the next prime minister – but Rishi Sunak has so far disclosed little of his plans.
The Foreign Secretary said that rail workers are “well rewarded for the work they do” and accused the unions of “holding the travelling public to ransom”.
But the former chancellor has yet to set out his stall on what he would do to protect the public from the threat of industrial action.
Indeed, it has been a tricky day for Mr Sunak, as his U-turn on VAT cuts appeared to backfire as the IFS warned it would be inflationary.
Rail strikes will continue despite an offer from Network Rail to increase pay by 8pc.
The RMT’s assistant general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, said the offer represented “progress” but would not be enough to prevent further industrial action by itself.
The general secretary of the RMT, Mick Lynch, suggested “trial by combat” against Grant Shapps in an effort to resolve the impasse.
Tens of thousands of rail workers have already lost £1,500 from strike action as commuters ignored advice to work from home and take the train to the office.
Staff that walked out on the fourth day of industrial action by the RMT have lost around 4pc of their annual pay – equivalent to more than two weeks’ wages.
Not only have workers foregone their pay for the day, but they have lost cash bonuses that they would have otherwise been entitled to.
This disruption will run into tomorrow, with fresh strikes on Saturday.
Train drivers at nine rail companies will strike on August 13, their union Aslef said. Here is what you need to know.
Labour on picket lines
The strikes have raised questions for Labour, whose frontbenchers were expected to refrain from demonstrating,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Yahoo News – Latest News & Headlines…