Nigel Farage has likened RMT Secretary-General Mick Lynch to miners unionist Arthur Scargill with train strikes set to cause chaos across the country in the coming days.
Members of the RMT at Network Rail and 13 train operators will strike on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday amid a dispute over pay.
Around one in five trains running and disruption to services on days following the action.
Nigel Farage and Mick Lynch
GB News/PA
The RMT and Unite are also holding a 24-hour walkout on London Underground which will cause huge disruption to the Tube.
Speaking on GB News about the upcoming action, Nigel explained how he understood why workers wanted a to strike, but believes their demands are unrealistic.
Nigel also hit out at Mr Lynch, saying the language he used over the weekend regarding the strikes reminded him of Mr Scargill, who led the UK miners’ strike in 1894.
He said: “I completely understand how families out there are struggling, its £100 to fill the car, goodness only knows what the electricity and gas bill will come to this autumn of this year.
“Food prices all the lot, inflation out of control, mismanaged hopelessly by the Bank of England.
“Naturally people want to stay at least where they are in life, hence the demand for pay.
The train strikes are set to cause chaos across the country
Ian West
“The RMT wants a 10 percent pay rise and a guarantee that no jobs will be lost despite the fact that many fewer people are now using the railways then they were before the pandemic.
“But I understand on the one hand that basic human desire not to go backwards.
“But the truth is we learnt in the 1970s that once that disease of inflation is set in, wage inflation can let the whole thing go on for longer and indeed make it spiral out of control."
He continued: “So my own view is the demands of the RMT is just realistic, much as I sympathise with families out there that are struggling to pay their bills.
“But the language of Mick Lynch over the weekend reminded me of a chap in 1984 called Arthur Scargill.
“He was all out for class war and I think Mick Lynch is as well.
“He seems to be encouraging a general strike, we haven’t had one of those until 1926.
“So I feel this is as much about politics, bringing down a Tory Government, as it is about improving the lives of his members.”