RAIL union leader Manuel Cortes branded Boris Johnson’s administration a “zombie government” today, saying that it has gone “missing in action” amid the cost-of-living crisis and strikes by workers across the country.

Mr Cortes, general secretary of white-collar transport union TSSA, said that with the Prime Minister on holiday and the candidates to replace him, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, busy bickering among themselves, the government stands idle.

Thousands of TSSA members are to strike on August 18 and 20 in defence of pay, job security and conditions.

They will join tens of thousands of members of RMT and train drivers’ union Aslef, who will be staging a walkout to defend pay, jobs and the rail industry.

Mr Cortes accused Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of “tying the hands of train bosses,” adding that Tory ministers were “failing to grip the economic crisis, with predictions of a looming winter energy crisis which could see blackouts and huge hikes in bills.”

He said: “It seems it’s not just the Prime Minister and Chancellor who have gone missing in action as the Tory cost-of-living crisis deepens, but the Transport Secretary has also gone awol.

“Gordon Brown is right – Parliament must be recalled now as the Tory cost-of-living crisis is all but out of control.

“This zombie government has nothing to say on the fear facing millions of our fellow citizens in the coming months, including the possibility of blackouts.

“They are a vacuum, not a government. For his part, Grant Shapps should either get directly involved in talks to resolve our rail dispute or get out of the way and allow train bosses to freely negotiate with our union to reach a deal which averts these strikes.”