BBC Question Time Takes A Curious Turn As RMT Is Compared To... The Dinosaurs

A clip of someone comparing the striking workers to dinosaurs went viral on Thursday (Photo: BBC Question Time)

A bizarre exchange on BBC Question Time saw a woman in Thursday’s audience compare the extinct dinosaurs to the striking rail workers – leaving people “howling” on Twitter.

Amid a fierce debate about whether the railway employees should be striking this week over their working conditions, job losses and pay, the unnamed audience member explained why she did not support the industrial action.

“Businesses have to change, they have to adapt, it’s a fundamental in business,” the audience member said. “You absolutely have to change with what you experience economically.”

“Do you think the RMT [Union] is taking the wrong approach?” Host Fiona Bruce asked.

“Yes! And look what happened to the dinosaurs,” the woman responded.

RMT’s general-secretary Mick Lynch replied: “Well, they were around for a very long time.”

There was a smattering of laughter, before the audience member hit back with: ″[But] they’re not with us now though, are they?”

While condemning the strike action, Network Rail has accused the RMT – the union leading the strikes – of pushing back against modernisation essential to the industry.

However, Lynch has denied these claims, saying: “We’re not resisting change. We negotiate change on a permanent basis with our employers...What we’ve got here is an unreasonable agenda of pay cuts and slashing terms and conditions.”

But, to return to the viral clip, it seems not many people were sure where this audience member was coming from...

This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.

Related...

• What Does Inflation Have To Do With Rail Workers' Salaries?

• Rail Strike: Grant Shapps Accused Of 'Wrecking' Talks With RMT

• British Airways Workers At Heathrow Vote To Strike