What the papers say – June 20

Monday’s newspapers react to the rail shutdown which is about to hit the country.

20 June 2022

The front pages for the beginning of the week are led by the rail strike which is set to hit Britain as tens of thousands of staff plan to walk out in a dispute over pay, conditions and job losses.

The biggest rail shutdown in 30 years will start tonight, Metro writes, warning that commuters will be left “scrambling for the last train home”.

The i says industrial actions will continue until autumn.

The Daily Telegraph similarly warns the strike may last six months as disputes cause a “war of attrition”.

Major trade unions are urging the Government to find a solution before the strikes begin, The Independent reports.

The Guardian writes of growing anger as ministers “refuse to join (a) last-ditch effort to halt rail strikes”.

The Daily Mail splash says Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has refused to condemn the strike action which will “cause chaos and cost businesses hundreds of millions of pounds”.

The Sun declares that the strike action is “returning this country to the 1970s”.

The Times and the Daily Mirror report teachers and doctors are threatening to join the strikes with the rail union boss backing calls for a general walk-out.

The Daily Express carries a warning from the Transport Secretary to Labour that voters “won’t forget” its reluctance to condemn the strike.

Elsewhere, the Financial Times reports that City of London bosses have warned that the UK is facing a damaging recession later this year and that managers lack the experience to deal with the economic shock.

And the Daily Star splash has forecasters saying that a “Spanish plume summer” could hit the UK and last well into September, bringing temperatures of over 28C and lasting several days for some parts of the country.