RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan today to have a discussion on Tube strikes rather than post on social media.

Speaking at the TUC Congress, Mr Dempsey told delegates: “We know the legislative agenda of the government is to bring public transport back into public ownership, to deliver the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation, to improve workers’ collective and individual rights, to improve living standards for workers across the economy.

“We’ve seen some of that [...] as we’ve moved towards establishing a ’great British railway.’

“[But] for reasons I don’t quite understand, in London, we’re seeing the total opposite direction.”

Mr Dempsey warned that Transport for London was “running the show” instead of Mr Khan, saying: “These are people still wedded [to] the old Tory solutions.

“So I have a message for the mayor: instead of going on social media, instead of the old, tired cliches, telling trade unionists to get back to the table, let’s have a discussion.

“We take no pleasure in disruption, but we’re not apologetic for what we do — which is to fight for our members.

“If the man has any sense, he will reach out to us.”