The 2023 fare increase is expected by many to be at least in line with July RPI inflation in any case under the standard formula. The increase in RPI in July will be in excess of 10%.
On the contrary, a Tory government taking on any union that *appears* to be making unreasonable demands is likely to receive considerable support from borderline voters.
Perhaps the government will cap it in line with some comments on here regarding pay rises not being honoured if agreed at RPI
The political damage of, let's say, a fare increase of 7% would probably be as bad as one of 10% so I really don't see where the political benefit of suppressing the fare increase comes in. Costs other than staffing will have increased.Perhaps the government will cap it in line with some comments on here regarding pay rises not being honoured if agreed at RPI
The last bit made me chuckle.
Absolutely this.
Well said. The majority of our colleagues who aren’t at the pointy end and on much lower salaries need to have their voices heard, especially S&T and track maintenance. We don’t want to be hearing of a disaster in less than a decade because of cutbacks on checks and therefore safety.
Very good points. We need more pragmatism like this. The world doesn't just stand still when it suits us.
Well its up to the unions to put the point across that the demand for a payrise is hardly unreasonable when most of us haven't had one in 3 years.
I wouldn’t know.
But surely that driver training would still take place. Unless all the Di's step down from the grade , they would have to do it. And the ops trainers too.
So it would make sense for any money available for pay rises to be given to the junior roles?
Don't tar all reps with the same brush, but also remember that you (collectively) put him there! If it didn't go to a vote, then he must have stood unopposed. We need good reps and it worries me that there's so little interest within the grade for folk to stand up and offer an alternative to the entrenched bad eggs.
Surely you know that 18 months to replace an entire grade is wildly, wildly optimistic?
I think most of us have mortgages to pay. Many, not unreasonably given their position in secure employment, will have relatively large mortgages. Many are already really noticing the increased cost of living generally, and I don't just mean that minority who rely heavily overtime to pay the bills each month. Many can't bear what will effectively be a 10%+ pay cut.
I don't think they do that, beyond the usual willingness to help out if they're travelling "pass"?
I'm inclined to agree with you, but for the fact that it could be a useful tool in negotiations to help TOCs justify to the DfT a "cost neutral" pay increase in line with inflation.
Problem with that is, it starts closing the gap and I suppose in the long run, eventually, the point of having a higher paid, more skilled job diminishes. Everyone's cost of living has gone up, and it's everyone's standard of living. From houses, mortgages, to cars, we live according to our wages. Just because someone might be on £50000 per year does not mean they are rich and can keep taking financial pressure. They set their lives up to their wages, and also pay higher tax, pension premiums as a result.
Spot on. And when you look at how much drivers pay in taxes we are far from wealthy. I am genuinely squeezed at the minute in a number of areas, and I have and always will live within my means but things are getting a bit ridiculous now frankly. With inflation at 11 percent something has to give. Expecting us to take 0 percent pay rises which are actually in real terms are a loss isn't acceptable. We were working right through covid whilst others sat at home and yet most people in these jobs have still had pay rises!
Therein lies the RMT's conundrum as a socialist Trade Union that wants to overthrow capitalism. As Karl Marx said "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs". Why should a driver or signaller with the same needs as a track labourer or gateline assistant earn double or more?
And therein lies the problem. If the railway isn’t interested in building back up again and the staff think they have jobs for life regardless if anyone actually uses the services, then that needs sorting out. It’s unsustainable.
That should also change. It’s a lowest common denominator approach that results in the sort of dross customer service we get all too often. The good staff have no incentive to perform and that eventually drags them down to the lowest level.
Given how screwed the railway’s finances are, wouldn’t you all be better doing as much overtime as possible to knacker the finances even more?!
I'm not talking about whether they would support the strike. I was just wondering about the legality. If you are taking an enhanced salary for training , then are you legally/contract bound. Would they have to actually step down.
Whats the point in being a grade 7 signaller, if its only ever grade 3s and below that would get pay rises. There has to be a financial insensitive to make people want to work in a busy and intensive signalling centre compared to a nice little box on one's own in the English countryside with less and less to thrash your head and less responsibility
I agree, but that's not what Marx (and by extension the RMT leadership) advocate.
Much of the public sector has had no annual rises or those which they have had have been well below RPI (this year the average offer is 2%) since 2010. Not expressing any view on what railway workers should do, just setting some context.
"The national network of bus and coach services" as you refer to it (which in reality is a disparate patchwork with loads of gaps) has nowhere near the capacity to do any such thing. It also has its own discontented workforce who are increasingly taking industrial action.
And most rail workers were getting these kinds of rises as well since 2010. 2 or 3 percent. Yet suddenly the tap is turned off for rail workers whilst not for everyone else? During covid I didn't hear a single person say why are we not getting a rise this year, but now with packed trains , and record inflation its hardly unreasonable to expect something.
The same general public who shop themselves on Amazon....
100% agree. But the RMT represents railway workers. The fact of what you have said, is not for the RMT to fight.
