Bob Crow dies

[ReverendFozz]

I know very little about Bob Crow, just what I have read on here and the few times I have seen him on t.v.

He seemed to militant and to much of a firebrand for my liking, but, I did admire him for how he fought for his members, his will to win, he came across as a formidible opponent who if you got into a fight with you could expect a war...

52 is no age at all, my mum is not much older than and it puts things in perspective...

RIP Bob

Sent from my ET9-1 using Tapatalk

 

[83G/84D]

Goodnight and god bless, Comrade.
Agree or disagree, like or loathe, you can't help but admire the man for having the balls to stand up to politicians and railway management alike.
I've not been on the railways long (still a boy on the job) but I've heard some of the stories about the things that have changed for the better for us as members of the RMT under Bob's leadership.
When you've seen him on the telly, he comes across as a bit of a bully, very much stuck in the old ways. However, he's been to my depot on more than one occasion so I have been told, and was actually quite a charming man, who had the ability to engage almost anyone in decent conversation, including some of our managers, about things that weren't in the slightest related to the railways.
I am the first to admit, some of the tactics used by the RMT in general, and Bob in particular were very distasteful and not seen as the best move by some (including me), but he has gone some way to making the job that we, as RMT members do, that bit more bearable. And for that, we MUST be truly grateful.
Someone has a LARGE pair of shoes to fill, and I look forward to meeting his replacement out and about when he is campaigning. (if that's the right word)

Sleep well, brother.

Well said, I met Bob last year at an RMT branch meeting and he came accross very differently from the image portrayed in the media. He was very easy to talk to and spoke with passion but also realism.

I didn't agree with all his points but he had his members interests at heart.

A very intelligent and hard working man who worked tirelessly for his members and his passing has left a huge void.

A completely different character to the late Jimmy Knapp, but equally respected for all his work over the years in fighting for the rights of rail staff, the bus industry and seafarers all over the country.

Thanks Bob!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This morning, Russia Today have rebroadcast the whole of their February 2014 interview with Bob Crow as a tribute to him.

 

[Wyvern]

Well Versed

The Railway Man
Phill Jupitus

I heard
On the train
We had lost
A most singular
Essex man
Fighting man
Union man
Railed against injustice
Made points
And kept track
Of the *******s

So I wrote these lines
On the same train
And realised that
In his memory
None of us
Should be
Sleepers

 

[Carlisle]

Bob Crow was born in the wrong country at the wrong time.

Are you sure ? , he proved during his reign unions can still win many disputes and significantly increase membership long after most of us felt Tory legislation and big business had turned them largely into a spent force

 

[jon0844]

Surely Bob spent rather a lot of his time fighting a Labour government too?

 

[anthony263]

Surely Bob spent rather a lot of his time fighting a Labour government too?

That is true especially with his views on Tony Blair and new labour and well as Mr Livingstone when he was mayor of London.

 

[ianhr]

I feel sad at his loss.

I did not always agree with his tactics or the way he put his views across, but he fought hard for the members of his union (in the face of much public vilification) and may have done a lot of good which has not been recognised. Perhaps trades unions did have too much power in the 1970s but we should not overlook the fact that they have a purpose. There has been relatively little disruption of the railways from industrial action in recent years but do not be too surprised if there is now an increase in the absence of Bob Crow's leadership. Having good conditions of service for the staff is an important part of providing a good quality service to passengers, and contemporary safety standards are exemplary. He will have endured high levels of stress and we should remember that this could have contributed to his untimely death.

He has been criticised for not having the interests of the travelling public at heart but that charge could equally be directed at management, civil servants and politicians too. He was well paid but so are the army of lawyers and accountants who have grown fat on rail privatisation while contributing nothing to real productivity. A great deal of creativity has been directed to lining the pockets of shareholders with taxpayers money which should have gone directly into rail investment or been used to keep fares down. Bob Crow was one of the few people to publicly criticise all this.

The country desperately needs an opposition which can articulate a counter argument to the one dimensional consensus that every problem can be solved by an unregulated free market. The political establishment can no longer provide this opposition.

Thank you Bob.

 

[fowler9]

I'm currently working 5 hours a week more for £4000 a year less than I was in 2008 doing exactly the same job without taking in to account inflation. A few more Bob Crows in the world would be welcome.

 

[DownSouth]

This morning, Russia Today have rebroadcast the whole of their February 2014 interview with Bob Crow as a tribute to him.

With the current situation in the Ukraine, getting a tribute from Russia Today (a mouthpiece of 'Vlad the Invader' Putin) is a rather interesting honour!

 

[fowler9]

With the current situation in the Ukraine, getting a tribute from Russia Today (a mouthpiece of 'Vlad the Invader' Putin) is a rather interesting honour!

Ha ha, blimey, what is the old Chinese blessing/curse? May you live in interesting times! We certainly do.

 

[Carlisle]

Surely Bob spent rather a lot of his time fighting a Labour government too?

Yes I agree he certainly did ,I was just thinking that the bulk of the original legislation to curb unions power came from the previous Tory administration ,and on a day when it's been announced that G4S are to re pay over £100 million for overcharging the government for tagging offenders some of his long standing anti privatisation campaigns seem surprisingly relevant

 

[westv]

With the current situation in the Ukraine, getting a tribute from Russia Today (a mouthpiece of 'Vlad the Invader' Putin) is a rather interesting honour!

Well Putin is ex KGB.

 

[stanley T]

Cue the disgusting comments, not so much on here but on Twitter etc.

It was okay to disagree with him and what he stood for, as well as what he said and did, but I just know that we're going to have loads of people celebrating this (just as sick people celebrated the death of Margaret Thatcher).

+1

He had a lot in common with Thatcher: a divisive figure, hated by many, but darned effective at his job, and apparently surprisingly charming in private.

52 is far too young to die and leave 4 kids behind. Condolences and sympathy for his family.

 

[jon0844]

He had a lot in common with Thatcher: a divisive figure, hated by many, but darned effective at his job, and apparently surprisingly charming in private.

I wish we had more people, especially politicians, that stuck to their guns. Of course in this day of 24/7 news channels, social networking and so on, politicians have little choice but to jump on bandwagons and U-turn every few weeks.

Bob certainly didn't allow himself to be influenced by what others were saying.

 

[TOCDriver]

The thing I admired most about Bob was that he wasn't overtly political. Red or blue, it didn't matter. He stuck up for his members and came down hard on the employers to such an extent, they were scared of him. He wil be sadly missed by myself, even though I often disagreed with him. A true professional at the end of the day. RIP Bob.

 

[infobleep]

The other month he was interviewed by Nick Ferrari on LBC. It was slightly heated, with Nick focusing on Bob's holiday.

Later on Boris Johnson was on for his slot and Bob Crow, who more than likely had a special number to ring to make sure he got on, rang in. To my surprise he was polite and spoke well. It was not heated. Boris was polite back too.

I suspect if not antagonised he might be more reasonable when speaking, even if he held different views. However journalists like to antagonise almost anyone of any view point, especially on TV and radio where they have to be seen to be impartial.

I may not have agreed with everything he did but as I only heard about what he did via the media, that's not always the best way to judge someone.

I suspect his job and the effort he put in lead to his early demise.

RIP Bob and my thoughts are with those you leave behind.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[jon0844]

I don't understand why the media (and public) have such a big issue with people daring to take a holiday?

Whether it's Bob Crow or the PM; people are entitled to holidays and some people are just getting ridiculous in their levels of jealousy and having to protest and feign outrage.

Holidays that are likely booked well in advance, so if that holiday is taken and something happens 'back home' during that time, it isn't the case that they deliberately buggered off to avoid dealing with things.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The thing I admired most about Bob was that he wasn't overtly political.

I am sure that you are wrong in saying this and Bob Crow himself would have been the first to admit where his loyalties lay. Did you see the full interview on Russia Today ?

 

[LowLevel]

I think a better way of putting it would be that he had political views, certainly, but didn't particularly identify or cosy up to any of the current collection of sterile idiots who walk straight down the middle at least in words, if not always in actions, who currently have a hand in affairs in this country.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think a better way of putting it would be that he had political views, certainly, but didn't particularly identify or cosy up to any of the current collection of sterile idiots who walk straight down the middle at least in words, if not always in actions, who currently have a hand in affairs in this country.

Indeed you are correct. The beliefs that he espoused were are far removed from both the recent Labour and Conservative ideologies, but unfortunately were ones that no such political party of his liking ever had the remotest chance of forming the government.

 

[merlodlliw]

Indeed you are correct. The beliefs that he espoused were are far removed from both the recent Labour and Conservative ideologies, but unfortunately were ones that no such political party of his liking ever had the remotest chance of forming the government.

On a non political point
John Bithell a Cllr on Wrexham CC and a NR bobby, reminds us in the Wrexham Leader last evening, Bob Crow & the RMT were a great help in getting the Wrexham /Shropshire & Marylebone Railway open access service into Wrexham,indeed I had forgotten Bob Crows communications to the ORR in support.

Alas both have left us.

 

[rmt4ever]

Absolutely gutted. Met Bob many times in the course of Union duties, and he was always a gent. RIP will be missed very much

 

[TDK]

Boris hasn't said anything disrespectful that I can see?

You will always get the one who uses a tragedy to their political advantage Jon

 

[Squaddie]

When Baroness Thatcher died, Bob Crow said "I won't shed one single tear over her death. As far as I'm concerned she can rot in hell."

I believe we should show him the same respect.

 

[Greenback]

I had hoped that following the earlier discussion and exchanges in this thread, that the standards here would have been a bit higher, Squaddie.

 

[jon0844]

When Baroness Thatcher died, Bob Crow said "I won't shed one single tear over her death. As far as I'm concerned she can rot in hell."

I believe we should show him the same respect.

I have no time for those who got a kick out of the death of Mrs Thatcher, but I wouldn't dream of stooping to the same level in return. In fact, it puts you in a much better position by not doing so.

If someone didn't like Bob Crow then just 'ignore' the funeral and leave it at that IMO.

 

[Squaddie]

I had hoped that following the earlier discussion and exchanges in this thread, that the standards here would have been a bit higher, Squaddie.

My contribution was carefully-worded, and posted only after some thought.

I believe there is a lot to be said for not speaking ill of the dead, no matter what you thought of them when they were alive. It seems to me to be the decent thing to do.

I was merely pointing out that Bob Crow did not share that point of view and, it might be argued, forfeits his right to be treated in the same way. Hoping that someone rots in hell is not really a very nice thing to say.

 

[Greenback]

My contribution was carefully-worded, and posted only after some thought.

I believe there is a lot to be said for not speaking ill of the dead, no matter what you thought of them when they were alive. It seems to me to be the decent thing to do.

I was merely pointing out that Bob Crow did not share that point of view and, it might be argued, forfeits his right to be treated in the same way. Hoping that someone rots in hell is not really a very nice thing to say.

That could be argued. I think the argument that whatever he did or said when Mrs Thatcher passed on should not result in the same low standards from others. Taking that reasoning on a bit further also has implications, if you think about it.

As I said earlier two wrongs and all that.

 

[David Barrett]

I have many memories of Bob Crow but one stands out above all others during an attempted engineering grades restructure at E.W.S. in which, not unsurprisingly the engineering union formerly known as the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers was deeply involved and recommended the acceptance of what amounted to a lousy deal although it was presented to us as if it was the best thing since sliced bread. Then a letter was posted from Mr. Crow who seemed to grasp the issues better than any of our own representatives, a lot of minds were changed at that point and I never heard a bad word said against the man afterwards. The railways and the country will be the worse for this untimely departure of a shrewd and hard working advocate of the common man.

R.I.P. Bob Crow