Does that mean support for the strikes has increased? Or is it because fewer managers are available (i.e. not on holiday) to stand in?
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the dispute practical human factors are coming into play. Northern have managed to keep some services running by training non train crew to cover some trains.
At first there was novelty involved but the training alone took many man hours of their time when they weren't doing their duties. Even to fulfill a basic part of the guards role means losing weeks away from whatever they should have been doing.
The novelty of doing the job is now wearing off, but those involved have a much better understanding of what the job entails than they did before. They better understand why the guards role is needed, and how the duties could be changed to better reflect modern rolling stock, station operations, fare collection and customer service.
Longer standing staff in these positions will mostly see it through, but Saturdays will not be at all popular. Younger staff, and those who are more mobile, are looking for positions elsewhere.
Those who wish to arrange meetings with Northern management and officers at any level are finding it hard to fix dates as the staff concerned are preparing, working and catching up after acting as guards, and taking appropriate rest days to compensate for those days worked.
These are significant costs to the business. The Saturday dates are, from a RMT point of view, a shrewd move to ratchet up the pressure.
They will also hack off a lot of leisure travellers who will only understand there are few, if any, trains. Having to rely on special timetables for odd days doesn't help those on lines with no service at all. Get out the car or stay at home.
At present the entire rail industry is suffering as a result of this dispute.
