Rail Strikes announced

[TheDayman]

5 minutes ago, mattiloy said:

For your info, its not easy for unions to take strike action in the uk.

For public services, its and a minimum of 50% turnout amongst members and a majority but an additional minimum of 40% of all workers for a yes.

As it was for this one, it seems that turnout was 71% and 89% voted yes.

So a broad consensus.

Whilst I agree that scrunity is always reasonable, I also tend to have faith that a large majority of RMT members are probably the reasonable ones (along with any other workers who take the decision to strike) rather than the bosses of the rail companies. So my starting point would always be that if a strike is called, clearly many workers feel the same discontent with their pay and/or conditions and our instinct should be to back them. And lo and behold, if you read the details of this specific dispute, you find that they are in fact the reasonable ones

As I said, I was speaking in general terms. I don't disagree with anything you've said. As you'll see, my original comment was on a point which I felt needed more scrutiny, not on the validity of the strike itself.

[amb]

Ahh this is so worrying in terms of getting to the site for my group. Completely understand and support the strike action but at the same time so worried about the impact this will have on us being able to get to the pick up point for our coach ticket (3 hours away from home). Good luck to everyone with problems travelling and everyone striking too! 

[clarkete]

52 minutes ago, TheDayman said:

As I said, I was speaking in general terms. I don't disagree with anything you've said. As you'll see, my original comment was on a point which I felt needed more scrutiny, not on the validity of the strike itself.

There are many reasons for the salary of any job, for a driver they have to do all sorts of other things (as of course does a paramedic).

These in relation to drivers copied from tweets...
"Do you have 3 years of training, a full psychiatric assessment and full knowledge of both the engine and the rolling stock?"

"Knowing what to do to save your arse from getting electrocuted by 25k volts after evacuating you safely from a burning carriage prior to entering a tunnel, because we know the routes like the back of our hand, are tested yearly on a lot of rules, have to stay alert."

There are plenty of jobs where the papers (and their tax avoiding paymasters) are happy to stir up hatred about the folks who do those difficult jobs and the level of pay.

As long as they also focus on things which had no such challenges, such as paying contact tracers to sit at home and watch netflix or have BBQs because they were assigned so few calls.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/05/englands-contact-tracers-making-handful-of-calls-a-month

[med]

Does anyone know if there will be some trains running to Castle Cary on the 23rd, or will they all definitely be cancelled?  Or are we still waiting for them to decide?  Sorry if this has already been asked.. 

[Euphoricape]

1 minute ago, med said:

Does anyone know if there will be some trains running to Castle Cary on the 23rd, or will they all definitely be cancelled?  Or are we still waiting for them to decide?  Sorry if this has already been asked.. 

Not answering the question really but Lisa Nandy was on sky news earlier and said she is confident a deal can be reached and strikes averted. Fingers crossed the workers get the deal they deserve and the strikes are called off.

[med]

That sounds hopeful then 🙂

[Rose-Colored Boy]

23 minutes ago, med said:

Does anyone know if there will be some trains running to Castle Cary on the 23rd, or will they all definitely be cancelled?  Or are we still waiting for them to decide?  Sorry if this has already been asked.. 

nobody knows anything yet, but if the strike isn’t called off then freight and busy services will be prioritised, and logically you’d expect the Castle Cary trains to fall under the latter category. 

[Euphoricape]

32 minutes ago, Rose-Colored Boy said:

nobody knows anything yet, but if the strike isn’t called off then freight and busy services will be prioritised, and logically you’d expect the Castle Cary trains to fall under the latter category. 

U mean castle cary will be classed as a busy service?

[Rose-Colored Boy]

12 minutes ago, Euphoricape said:

U mean castle cary will be classed as a busy service?

Obviously we don’t know but it should be. That and any trains into Bristol/Bath from further afield. 

[Sku]

The BBC news report I saw on TV seemed to suggest a "Sunday Service" would have to be run throughout, even on the in-between days (e.g. Wednesday). This is partially due to the need to prioritise freight. But also because of the logistics involved in scaling the service back up the full capacity after a day of disruptive strikes is not exactly a simple task. The details of what service might be able to run will likely become clearer nearer the time.

Hopefully it might be possible for a deal before then.

[AlexOvd]

[Alex DeLarge]

It's going to be hilarious having all the rags that call us all middle-class wannabe hippies and student politicians all year suddenly pretend that Glastonbury is a grand event in the cultural calendar than is being desecrated by these unions. 

[Pinhead]

Managers getting involved now...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/09/rail-managers-to-be-balloted-on-strike-action

[Rose-Colored Boy]

24 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

Managers getting involved now...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/09/rail-managers-to-be-balloted-on-strike-action

That would be very funny after our managers spent the last few months ruining their relationships with the staff by training to do our jobs in the event of a strike. 

[Pinhead]

😄

[Beerqueen]

1 hour ago, AlexOvd said:

How many bands and media would even travel by train?  And that's only the first question I have about this tweet.

[Euphoricape]

Any news on further talks yet? 

[Rose-Colored Boy]

35 minutes ago, Euphoricape said:

Any news on further talks yet? 

Nothing today. Wouldn’t expect to hear much until closer to the time unless there’s a breakthrough, tbh. 

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, Rose-Colored Boy said:

Nothing today. Wouldn’t expect to hear much until closer to the time unless there’s a breakthrough, tbh. 

Did they not announce more train company’s / areas joining in ? Or did I imagine it ? 

[zahidf]

5 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Did they not announce more train company’s / areas joining in ? Or did I imagine it ? 

Yup other unions joining in the act for later in the summer.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

11 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Did they not announce more train company’s / areas joining in ? Or did I imagine it ? 

Oh right, yeah. Nothing further about the RMT strikes though. 

[rhyscork]

The ball is firmly with the Train companies and the Government.

All they have to do to at least postpone the strikes is put out a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies till X date, whilst promising to talk on other issues raised during any postponement.

The only reason they wouldn't do that is because they are planning redundancies.

As has been mentioned previously, mangers have been getting trained up for months to do the jobs of other staff during the strikes. That translates as: We knew this was coming, We COULD have sat down and talked.... but we chose not too

[Pinhead]

This is a government that despise unions. I'd not be surpised if they let the strike go ahead just in order to garner support from an annoyed general public.

[charlierc]

I'm meant to be seeing Green Day in London on June 24th and I'm kinda not sure what to expect if the strikes go ahead tbf, given that's not a strike day but there's likely going to be issues. There may need to be some playing by ear I guess. But it is what it is.

Edited June 9, 2022 by charlierc

[rhyscork]

My reasons for supporting the strike and waving my RMT flag at Glasto:

We were told during the pandemic that we were key workers. We had to work while others isolated. We were told we were ESSENTIAL to the running of the railway and the country as a whole. I am not disputing this.

Whilst every single shop or anything that was open during lockdown had screens and masks, we did not. "Can't be sourced" "you'll take PPE away from the NHS", "payment dispute between the train company and the Gov for who should supply". Just some of the excuses given.

When Borris went on TV and partially lifted the 1st lockdown, the Unions said staff will not work without PPE. 

MAGICALLY within 48hrs, the apparent impossible to get hold of PPE appeared at every station. 4000 masks and 100s of bottles of sanitiser, along with screens were impressively plucked out of thin air for my station alone.

We were not given anything, we had to fight for everything we got, when we asked for simple things such as masks, we got guilt tripped that we were taking away from the NHS. 

We had times where people tested positive for Covid, the entire management teams, whether they were there or not, were isolated, lower level staff who had spent longer with the same staff were told "If you've been following the rules you shouldn't have to isolate" and had to continue to work.

I should add now that this is not a sob story or me complaining, EVERYONE up and down the country made massive sacrifices, we like everyone else just had to get on with it, power through and try to make the best of a bad situation. This is purely based on principles.  

One of my old colleges who used to work at my station (moved stations pre pandemic), died as a result of Covid, whilst working as a key worker on the railway. (Along with many others on the railway and all jobs up and down the country)

He was there because he was told he was essential to running the railway.

His job role is now one of the job roles under particular threat of compulsory redundancy. This is SO wrong to me,

HOW can you be essential to the running of the railway and a "key worker" when we were doing less than 100 passengers most days, but suddenly not be essential when we are doing 10,000 - 25,000 passengers a day?

I will and cannot stand aside whilst people who put themselves on the line when they were asked to, are cast aside and treated like the bad guys now.

Its pure principle.

NO COMPULSARY REDUNDANCIES. That's all they have to do to postpone the strike. 

Its not the unions or workers to blame for this strike. Its not the unions or workers who wanted or forced this strike. Its the train companies and government who are to blame. They could have talked, they could have made an offer, instead they trained managers for months to fill the jobs left empty by strikes.

If you see someone with an RMT flag, it might be me, so come say hi and sign it! If i can fill a flag with signatures, i'll send it to the bosses when i get back! Love you all. Can't wait for Glasto. Support the strike.