Are guards salaries catching drivers ?

[Minilad]

A valid point was made above that some Drivers are not 'people people' and would struggle to cope with the frontline face to face aspects of the Guard's role, just as some Guards would struggle to drive a train. Carriage after carriage of angry, delayed people looking for somebody to vent their anger towards or a group of p*ssed up idiots looking for a fight are surely just as challenging than much of what one might expect to face on a regular basis whilst driving?

As someone who has done both I must say my people skills have diminished quite a lot in the time I have been driving. I used to be quite a happy helpful guard but now I find I don't have as much patience as I used to !!

 

[BestWestern]

As someone who has done both I must say my people skills have diminished quite a lot in the time I have been driving. I used to be quite a happy helpful guard but now I find I don't have as much patience as I used to !!

Perhaps there are just more ignorant members of the travelling public!?

 

[Fincra5]

Some Drivers deffo aren't people persons. This was made clear when SN changed the Uniforms and Drivers are the same as guards, a lot more passengers started asking them questions. Oh how some moaned

 

[notadriver]

I think that's generalising a bit. I bet I could be a train driver and still be a people person.

 

[BestWestern]

I think that's generalising a bit. I bet I could be a train driver and still be a people person.

Many Drivers have no problems dealing with the punters, indeed many of them were of course Guards in a previous life. But equally there are many who freely admit that they simply wouldn't have the patience and couldn't hack it.

 

[Minilad]

I have no problem with answering queries and helping passengers at all. But I do find myself having to bite my lip sometimes !!

 

[BestWestern]

I have no problem with answering queries and helping passengers at all. But I do find myself having to bite my lip sometimes !!

I think it's more the idiots that would cause certain Drivers a bit of a problem, most staff are happy to answer a polite sensible question I'm sure!

 

[driver9000]

I'll answer passenger questions if I can and if not point them in the direction of the information office. It would be the minority of those who can make things difficult that I wouldn't have the patience for these days. Having worked on the buses I know how trying it can get at times.

 

[CarterUSM]

I think that's generalising a bit. I bet I could be a train driver and still be a people person.

I agree, I don't think it is that big a deal. I don't like the term "people person" either, manners should be enough for anybody. To be honest though, some of my elder conductor colleagues who were guards before commercial duties became commonplace struggle to communicate with punters too, even now!

 

[313103]

There's quite some way to go in some cases. Virgin TMs get £36k whilst the drivers are on £50k. For LM, it's £25k vs £41k.

For LO, think it's £32k vs £35k. And Southern, £25k vs £30k, that's going by the recent job advertisements.

As much as i would like it to be Guards on LO get nowhere near the £32k you mention. Guards salary on LO is £26,444. Whilst Drivers earn near the £47k mark.

If recent job advertisments state that Guards salary is £32k i would like to see it, then i would go to my HR and ask them how much does a Guard get on LO.
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No not only drivers in the railway lol But the only people with the power to stop it, im not getting on a high horse saying drivers are the bee al and end all,

Your not are you? I bloody beg to differ ! From what i have read from you you have been disingenuous to say the very least. Thats is why you probably went to a DOO depot, to make you feel all important being on your own! Incase you also forgot trains can also work without Drivers so i wouldnt be too cocky.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

As much as i would like it to be Guards on LO get nowhere near the £32k you mention. Guards salary on LO is £26,444. Whilst Drivers earn near the £47k mark.

If recent job advertisments state that Guards salary is £32k i would like to see it, then i would go to my HR and ask them how much does a Guard get on LO.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Your not are you? I bloody beg to differ ! From what i have read from you you have been disingenuous to say the very least. Thats is why you probably went to a DOO depot, to make you feel all important being on your own! Incase you also forgot trains can also work without Drivers so i wouldnt be too cocky.

Lets scrap Doo......GOO is the future

they were trialling driverless trains in the 80's down the Styal branch you can still see the wires used in the 4ft

 

[CarterUSM]

Your not are you? I bloody beg to differ ! From what i have read from you you have been disingenuous to say the very least. Thats is why you probably went to a DOO depot, to make you feel all important being on your own! Incase you also forgot trains can also work without Drivers so i wouldnt be too cocky.

Don't rise to it brother!

 

[Bellwater]

Plenty of drivel in this thread, but to get to the original point: no and hasn't been the case for years.

Drivers are paid appropriately Guards most the time either(depends on company).

I've never been at a depot where Guards and Drivers don't get on well.

Someone mentioned Crewe as a depot that gets on well together, well they don't with other LM depots or TOCs with their superiority complex.

Oh and I'm a Guard too as what the Rule Book says.

 

[HH]

Drivers get more money because:

1. The requirements are harder to meet;

2. They take a lot longer to train (as has already been noted); and

3. There's quite a bit of DOO operation, and there could be more.

All these make the Driver's bargaining position much stronger than the Guard's, which is why they will always earn more.

 

[TDK]

One SPAD and you're out

Incorrect

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Incorrect

depends of the severity and the TOC you work for, as its usually on a point based system it would have to be really bad

 

[whhistle]

Guards - and I call them Guards....all this rubbish terminology of conductor (from the busses), train manager (invented to hucsh the guards up for loosing responsibility) and now some other railway satff call them glorified twix sellers...

Is "Guard" not a terminology from steam days though with a guards' van?
I can see "Conductor" coming from the buses, but their job is pretty much the same function isn't it?
Maybe "Train Manager" is just the new term for the role?

I personally, am whatever my contract says I am and that is how I call groups of people in my work place.

In answer to the OP: No.

 

[BestWestern]

Is "Guard" not a terminology from steam days though with a guards' van?
I can see "Conductor" coming from the buses, but their job is pretty much the same function isn't it?
Maybe "Train Manager" is just the new term for the role?

I personally, am whatever my contract says I am and that is how I call groups of people in my work place.

In answer to the OP: No.

The job of a 'Conductor' on the railway has substantial safety elements, whereas somebody with the same job title on a bus or tram would generally be utilised in a purely revenue related role. I would tend to agree that 'Train Manager', whilst perhaps having slight 'Hooray Henry' overtones, is actually a better description of what a Guard does (or should do!) on today's railway.

 

[Beveridges]

Conductor salaries are certainly catching up with Depot Drivers salaries (or overtaken even if you look at what Virgin guards are on compared to what I'm on) even if they arent catching up with mainline Drivers salaries