Commonwealth Games 'deliberately targeted' with rail strikes

The Commonwealth Games are due to begin in Birmingham on 28 July

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston has accused rail unions of deliberately targeting the Commonwealth Games with strike action.

Railway workers in the RMT union and drivers who are members of Aslef are due to strike either side of the start of the Games on 28 July.

Both unions have said they want to resolve the dispute and strike action is their last option.

"They have deliberately and consciously targeted them," Mr Huddleston said.

The RMT union has announced a 24-hour walkout for 27 July while Aslef members plan to walk out on 30 July.

Both unions said the action follows ongoing dispute over members' pay, with RMT also citing dispute over jobs and conditions.

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston has accused rail unions of deliberately targeting the Games

Mr Huddleston told the BBC's Politics Midlands show he wanted the unions to change their minds.

"This has got a huge knock-on impact and I don't think the public are going to be too sympathetic to this," he said.

Simon Weller, Aslef's assistant general secretary, said his members did not want to strike and urged the rail industry to work to resolve the issues.

"We want to sit down with the employers and negotiate a settlement to this dispute," he said.

Network Rail has said it could only fund a pay increase from its own budgets by modernising working practices.

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, said strike action would "take money out of an industry" and make it harder to give a pay rise in the future.

Hundreds of extra buses and coaches will be used during the planned strikes alongside 60,000 park and ride spaces, Transport for West Midlands said.

Travel West Midlands said it was "confident that anyone wanting to come to the Games will have a fantastic experience".