National Rail Strike

Same_as_before said:
This might suprise a few, but the rail unions leaders job is to get the best terms for his members. It is not to ensure people get to Glastonbury or a test match.

It is not his job to keep editors of papers on his side, it is not his job to be a politician.

When I was younger the press despised a bloke known as Red Robbo, he did the same as the rail union and put his people first.

Good luck to him.
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Thanks for that. Prior to your post I had no idea what a Union leaders job was!
 
weallhateleeds said:
25 June is also armed forces day when veterans may well be travelling to events by train.
That will lose you a lot of public support.
I've sympathy for those working in ticket offices which they say they want to close, however do you know that some drivers/conductors contracts don't actually include Sunday working. How can a 7 day a week operation run like this - surely you work a set number of hours/shifts over 7 days?
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I'm not sure these strikes are to gain public support. They are to cause the maximum amount of disruption possible to make the Government bend to their will.
 
What are they striking for? I'd check the news but they've all got differing viewpoints.
 
I am generally pro-worker, but rail drivers are very well paid (not sure who precisely is striking). Rail tickets sales are down 30% and as people have said on here rail travel is quite expensive in the UK, outside of London.
 
I've got a train from Liverpool to Middlesbrough on the 21st... will this be affected? Haven't been paying much attention to it all until now!
 
Redwurzel said:
I am generally pro-worker, but rail drivers are very well paid (not sure who precisely is striking). Rail tickets sales are down 30% and as people have said on here rail travel is quite expensive in the UK, outside of London.
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Rail travel is down 30% and still they are making a profit.
 
Off on my hols on the 25th, and was due to get the train to Gatwick from where I live. Will have to drive now and leave car at Airport for 10 days - £275 (n)
 
Redwurzel said:
I am generally pro-worker, but rail drivers are very well paid (not sure who precisely is striking). Rail tickets sales are down 30% and as people have said on here rail travel is quite expensive in the UK, outside of London.
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Isn't it a strike aimed at Network Rail. They manage the infrastructure rather than provide train drivers. So I guess it is everybody who works on Network Rail Stations (not Thornaby or Middlesbrough + lots of others), tracks and signalling. Obviously trains wont be able to run without these workers though.

Transpenine strikes are a different thing, but linked to very similar issues.

This is what the news coverage has led me to believe anyway
 
I work in the rail industry, and fortunately most of our guys are TSSA, not RMT.

One thing I would say, is that rail construction workers (some of who will be RMT) are very well paid, well above the national average, and on projects like Crossrail, HS2, TRU etc the pay is excellent.
 
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FabioPorkpie said:
Cue lots of stories appearing in the Tory propaganda machine (Sun,Express,Telegraph,Mail etc) in the coming days and weeks about how railway workers are paid a fortune already, or they are lazy, or they are unsafe, or that in order to give the railway industry a pay rise they’ll have to underfund the NHS or won’t be able to give nurses and doctors a pay rise etc etc
There will be stories about how Doctors couldn’t get to work because the trains weren’t running, or vital supplies didn’t get to a medical facility because of the trains not running, or a cat couldn’t be rescued from up a tree because the trains weren’t running. Comparisons of railway pay vs other industries and right wing commentators complaining ‘ how can it be right that a driver gets paid this but a nurse only gets this’ etc They’ll try and push the ‘we need to bring railway pay and conditions in line with other industries’ message and they’ll paint the narrative of needing to reduce railway terms and conditions rather than improve other industries pay etc. Race to the bottom mind games etc etc
Every trick they can, they’ll use to try and turn public opinion against those who go on strike.
Don’t fall for it, don’t be played.
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Already rolling in on here
 
Same_as_before said:
This might suprise a few, but the rail unions leaders job is to get the best terms for his members. It is not to ensure people get to Glastonbury or a test match.

It is not his job to keep editors of papers on his side, it is not his job to be a politician.

When I was younger the press despised a bloke known as Red Robbo, he did the same as the rail union and put his people first.

Good luck to him.
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Is there really any need for that?
As far as I can tell no one was suggesting getting to Glasto or a test match was more important than employees fighting for their rights.
 
1finny said:
my lad booked his train ticket just yesterday for 23rd to get to glasto
now booked another fir 22nd just in case
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Yes a mate of mine is now getting late Wed train - was planning an early Thurs trip originally. Can see those trains being packed.
 
uncle_rico said:
I work in the rail industry, and fortunately most of our guys are TSSA, not RMT.

One thing I would say, is that rail construction workers (some of who will be RMT) are very well paid, well above the national average, and on projects like Crossrail, HS2, TRU etc the pay is excellent.
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I've seen that the average wage for a train driver is £58,000 annually? Is that so?

Also is the rumour about train drivers been given early retirement with a full pension if they are involved in three accidents true?
 
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