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Post by capitalomnibus on Jun 10, 2022 7:31:16 GMT
I'll say it again - Up the workers. It took a while for some to take a nibble, I must try harder. Anyway, let me introduce myself, Hi, hard-working Train Driver here (NR) - I've held multiple roles Ticket Office, Station Assistant, Driver. The first two jobs were the lowest paid, dealt with entitled disgruntled passengers in times of disruption, spat at, threatened, even got into fight whilst working at a major station in North London. TOC's reliant on existing employees working overtime & then in the last resort use Agency staff who earn more then TOC staff but have worse T&C's i.e no fixed hours, no sick pay, no holiday pay. The Government is the cause behind this disruption, unions are counteracting government actions. Why must my pension be tampered with just because, why must I continually work overtime just to maintain service, just because the DFT doesn't want to fund TOC's to hire more staff, the same DFT that will scrap perfectly good units because of a temporary downturn in footfall because of COVID. I read a comment, saying being in Union doesn't necessarily mean we deserve payrises, when franchises are tendered, Pay rises are factored in the tender, the unions negotiate T&C's and pay with the DFT, read into it. Not sure, why Railway workers have been targeted not our fault other sectors' unions aren't as strong as the railways, to be honest. Every time a Trainee Train Vacancy is released, tens of thousands apply but not everyone meets the criteria of the psychometric exams, let alone the many interviews, nor the intensive training, nor the ability to deal with things in pressurised situations, or stop in thick fog or the pitch darkness after breaking high speed and stopping at the stop car mark. Also, you're interacting with a hard-working train driver that after 9 weeks of having some take their life under his train, he was back driving trains, as I did throughout covid, keeping hardworkers moving. Because all train drivers do is push a few buttons and a lever & strike when we feel like annoying the opinionated right?! I'm so sorry for what you've gone through, hope you're on the mental road to recovery after your occupational hazzard. All I wish to say on the strikes is that Britons pay for the most expensive, yet the most unreliable rail service in Europe. The people who are paid dividends in the rail industry aren't the ones responding to callouts, manning stations, dealing with the public at all times or in your case sadly, dealing with loss of life from train driving. These are people on close to 6 figure salaries deciding to screw over the majority of 'little people' in the rail industry. Just once I'd like to hear everyone on a financial board reject their bonuses, but it rarely ever happens. But hey, it's not like £1 billion in dividends paid out last fiscal year would make a dent in DfT savings now, would it?! That is something that also seriously needs to be tackled within the transport industry, the stupidly £100k plus salaries, some even near £500k a year!
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Post by SILENCED on Jun 10, 2022 7:40:02 GMT
Being a South Londoner , the tube is not really the applicable to me, but my fear is that during this spell of financial mismanagement, they may look at some of the quieter non-profit making branches and like the buses say we are cutting them. This would result in Tube worker redundancies.
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Post by SILENCED on Jun 10, 2022 7:41:00 GMT
Railway workers are also "actual hard working Londoners" - it's on those other workers you mention then to join a union and get fighting for a better deal then. You can't just sit and wait for the goodwill of bosses(next joke) or this Tory government. I'll be severely disrupted by these strikes but I'm a member of a union myself & vote accordingly when it comes to industrial action and pay deals. Being in a union don’t mean you are entitled to guaranteed pay rises. Controversial opinion here it seems unions are more out for what they can get and the monthly subs. What happened to unions being there for when you needed them in times of trouble. O and yes I am a union member and do cross the picket line when there are strikes as my salary is half that of what most NUT members get! It’s like we are heading back to the 1970s next it will be the rubbish collectors on strike. Croydon's are already being balloted for strike action.
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Post by WH241 on Jun 10, 2022 7:48:38 GMT
Being in a union don’t mean you are entitled to guaranteed pay rises. Controversial opinion here it seems unions are more out for what they can get and the monthly subs. What happened to unions being there for when you needed them in times of trouble. O and yes I am a union member and do cross the picket line when there are strikes as my salary is half that of what most NUT members get! It’s like we are heading back to the 1970s next it will be the rubbish collectors on strike. We have a cost of living crisis and people are struggling to make ends meet. Trade Unions are there for pay and conditions and to support working people. The union I am a member of has been there for people when they have needed them and continue to do so. Of course and totally understand that but at the same time businesses are really struggling with increased costs and giving a pay rise could send them over the edge! An example I buy paper and the prices with some suppliers can only be held for as little as a couple of days because the prices are increasing so much. Again I do understand and have posted about the cost of living crises but this doesn’t mean we are all entitled to pay increases sadly.
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Post by southlondon413 on Jun 10, 2022 9:59:17 GMT
Not getting into the debate about whether it was right or wrong but, and this is wishful thinking on my part, some good could come from this by bringing in other industries who are poorly treated like the retail sector for instance but as I said, merely wishful thinking on my part. Unfortunately USDAW is a pee poor union and does nothing to actually make itself heard or support members. The one time I asked for help, it was whole thing where I asked for support to approach management about some contract issues and job description issues, they flat out refused and said it wasn’t their problem. I left the union shortly after that and quit the industry.
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Post by enviroPB on Jun 10, 2022 11:27:51 GMT
Being in a union don’t mean you are entitled to guaranteed pay rises. Controversial opinion here it seems unions are more out for what they can get and the monthly subs. What happened to unions being there for when you needed them in times of trouble. O and yes I am a union member and do cross the picket line when there are strikes as my salary is half that of what most NUT members get! It’s like we are heading back to the 1970s next it will be the rubbish collectors on strike. Croydon's are already being balloted for strike action. Going outside the M25 for a bit, Glasgow's refuse workers went on strike into the final weeks up to COP26 last November, and Birmingham's workers have been on and off since 2019. They wanted better working conditions off the back of Birmingham council hosting this year's Commonwealth Games. It looks like an agreement was had November last year.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Jun 13, 2022 10:51:20 GMT
Being a South Londoner , the tube is not really the applicable to me, but my fear is that during this spell of financial mismanagement, they may look at some of the quieter non-profit making branches and like the buses say we are cutting them. This would result in Tube worker redundancies. I remember after the 1992 recession, it was not long after in 1994 they closed Epping to Ongar branch and Picadilly line Aldwych branch at the same time
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Post by capitalomnibus on Jun 16, 2022 10:45:58 GMT
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