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El Scorchio 9:10 Mon Dec 5
Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

By the RMT.

Seems like a pretty cunty move to pull over Christmas.

Westside 1:16 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

Striking over a perceived drop in living standards.

Must be up to about 20 days of striking (RMT), come the end of December.

Say the average rail worker on £36,500, £100 a day. £2,000 lost in wages. can't imagine strike pay is that great. Been offered 4%, after 7%. If they settle at 7%, will take nearly two years of working at the extra 3%, to recover their lost wages.

Great for their living standards.

Withamexile 5:11 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

It will affect very few passengers.

It starts at 1800 on Xmas eve. Everyone signing on before that will finish their shifts as normal so with the usual shutdown around 10pm all Xmas eve trains will run. Then apart from very few airport services trains don’t run on 25th and 26th and it ends at 6am on 27th when staff will be back.

The strikes are to affect the engineering works that are booked in over them few days which will cost tens of millions.

So don’t believe all the headlines off this ruining Christmas put out to yet again try and turn worker Vs worker, it’s bollocks. The normal Christmas trains will still run.

Withamexile 5:14 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

Westside 1:16 Tue Dec 6

I earn a lot less than that. It will take me ages to get it back, but I am a man of principal. I’ve cancelled many things to afford to strike, we are being taken the piss out of and they’re trying to decimate the rail industry. I will continue the fight to the end.

Westside 5:41 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

we are being taken the piss out of and they’re trying to decimate the rail industry.

Taking the piss out of? Billions spent in Covid to support the railways, not a single redundancy.

Government support to the extent it's 75% of the rail companies' income.

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/2036/rail-industry-finance-uk-statistical-release-2020-21.pdf

Rail journeys down by very nearly a quarter, from 3 years ago.

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/passenger-
rail-usage/

I suppose you want paying to drive empty trains and man empty stations?

I'm sure the strikes will have the passengers flooding back.

dealcanvey 6:03 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

How dare rail workers ask for a pay rise in line with inflation whilst the worlds richest are making more money than ever before in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

Mike Oxsaw 6:08 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

Can squeeze in a bit more engineering work, so not a total loss.

Withamexile 6:49 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

Westside 5:41 Tue Dec 6
Support was given to rail companies who still made millions of pounds of profits during this time, not the workers. Managers mostly worked from home.

We were told we were key workers and to go to work as normal which is what every man and woman did.
We were not given the offer of safety of keeping ourselves and family safe on furlough like most workers as we had to get key workers to their place of work,
There was no redundancies because we are already massively understaffed. One sickness and we are begging staff to work overtime or come in on days off to cover safety critical roles.

Rail journeys down by very nearly a quarter, from 3 years ago?

Have you travelled much lately? Trains are rammed and weekends especially are busier than ever.

I suppose you want paying to drive empty trains and man empty stations?

Well nowhere is empty now and yes people should be paid if they’re doing their job they’ve been asked to wether they’re busy or not.

This is not just about pay. Yes the headlines are about that but look further: 4% this year and 4% next is pretty poor in the current climate but had a chance of being voted through IF there was no strings. But this offer could be 25% and it would get rejected.

The 13 different strings to accept this 4% are a disgrace including(amongst many others) the closure of all ticket offices.
Not just tiny ones that sell a few but some single manned stations that sell a few hundred a day. On top of tickets it means that disabled and elderly people are helped on trains with ramps and calls are made to help them off at their destination. Also it means facilities can be open like toilets and waiting rooms which are mostly closed when unstaffed and the many basic jobs people don’t see like cleaning, security, suicide interventions, changing posters and basic enquiries usually for the elderly who can’t or don’t understand how to get the info online.

This is much bigger than just a Payrise, a Payrise that hasn’t been had for 3 and half years.

Fo the Communist 7:33 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

Cheers for the perspective, Witham. Your posts are always appreciated.
I hope you reach an agreement soon.

Stevethehammer 8:01 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

Don't the rail companies get bailed out by the government everyday there are strikes.
So literally no loss to them at all, no incentive to give people a payrise

In my opinion fair fucking play to the RMT for leading the fight against greed and corruption in this country. Mick Lynch has had his credibility put through the mixer etc but he hasn't backed down, support has grown and at least someone had bollocks to stand up for the working man.
The mainstream media will always be on the side of the corporates as most of them are told what to say, stories to run etc in fear of losing their own huge wage packets.
Its been a fucking rat race to the bottom for years and at least someone is trying to stop the gravy train

Withamexile 8:06 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

Stevethehammer 8:01 Tue Dec 6

To be fair to them Steve the Tocs have wanted this sorted from day one despite not losing any money. The companies not answering to the government have all sorted their deals, the rest are forbidden from getting it sorted by the DFT.

Top man in our toc got a Payrise and nice bonus though 😂

RM10 8:15 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

I’m surprised they are striking and not working to rule, most companies would fall apart.

Stevethehammer 8:20 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

I think it is set deeper than just the rail industry though and the Tories added fuel to the fire by removing caps on bankers bonuses etc and not getting this sorted months ago.
It has allowed other industries and other unions to get on board and seeing the albeit slow progress of the RMT, in getting to an impasse where they pretty much hold the cards and hold the government to ransom, which the powers that be won't like one bit as their full control is lost.
Coupled with the major increases in the cost of living and the energy companies amongst others raking in billions, the government and analysts trot out that pay increases can't be afforded yet these profits are ring renced and are set in stone but the average family are left holding what's left and have to make it work. People have had enough and no matter how much it affects me in terms of travelling, deliveries etc I personally fully support every industry seeking to get a bigger/fairer slice of the pie. The rich have been dining out of caviar and champagne for too long at the expense of everyone else.

Nurse Ratched 8:34 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

They're ####s.

Looking forward to driverless trains.

RBshorty 8:40 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

May you live long enough to see that day nurse.

Far Cough 8:43 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

The technology is there, the DLR is driverless

Far Cough 8:44 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

The Elizabeth line is technically driverless but someone is in the cab

RBshorty 8:54 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

At a max of 28mph.! There's a very good reason why it ain't a going fully automated any time soon. Because they can't/won't pay out for the entire system to have enough redundancy fail safes to run it safely. So they want too pay the apes up front as fewer peanuts they can get away with.

RBshorty 8:58 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

A fully automated commuter/High speed service ain't going to happen in our lifetime. They don't want to pay the staff 4%. Let alone the hundred of billions it would cost to cover the network.

master 9:06 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

Elizabeth line is completely autonomous in the core section. Drivers aren't allowed to drive in that section unless it's an emergency. They are coming.

RBshorty 9:08 Tue Dec 6
Re: Rail strikes announced 24-27 December

At a snail's pace. Like I said before. I hope we all live to see that day.

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