Can the strikes next week really not be called off now?

[Jamesrob637]

Can anybody have talks tomorrow, or are talks taking place anyway?

Might amount to nought but it's better the prevention than the cure. There will be five days to go before Wednesday if tomorrow. A strike in the past was called off at five days' notice and 95% of trains ran once more (even if 95% of passengers didn't turn up once more)

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Can anybody have talks tomorrow, or are talks taking place anyway?

Might amount to nought but it's better the prevention than the cure. There will be five days to go before Wednesday if tomorrow. A strike in the past was called off at five days' notice and 95% of trains ran once more (even if 95% of passengers didn't turn up once more)

I understand no further talks are planned to take place: both sides are are entrenched in their current position with no apparent desire on either side to close that gap so there’s very little point having talks.

 

[craigybagel]

It's getting really hard to see the strikes ending before the next election at this point. This Government are clearly not prepared to back down, and the unions can't - hence the impasse.

Pray for a massive political scandal big enough to bring the current bunch crashing down.

 

[Midlands5678]

We have all accepted that we will be striking until the next GE.

Bring it on. Solidarity.

 

[Russel]

I understand no further talks are planned to take place: both sides are are entrenched in their current position with no apparent desire on either side to close that gap so there’s very little point having talks.

Oh, just delightful.

Another trip of mine being done by car next week, that's £100 that won't go into the fare box.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2023 ==

We have all accepted that we will be striking until the next GE.

Bring it on. Solidarity.

You're proud of this?

 

[Midlands5678]

Oh, just delightful.

Another trip of mine being done by car next week, that's £100 that won't go into the fare box.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2023 ==



You're proud of this?

I’m proud that we are standing up to this vile dictatorship of a government and that our union is SOLID.

You should turn your displeasure towards your MP.

 

[Topological]

It's getting really hard to see the strikes ending before the next election at this point. This Government are clearly not prepared to back down, and the unions can't - hence the impasse.

Pray for a massive political scandal big enough to bring the current bunch crashing down.

I doubt anyone of either side would be hoping that the government becomes paralysed by a major scandal for the time it would take for the election to be organised and held. Remembering it would need something much bigger than anything Johnson bumbled to get us to that point.

Much as these strikes are inconvenient, they are increasingly less relevant to people.

Meanwhile as inflation falls the situation becomes ever more opaque. To make up for the high inflation we have seen the next pay rise needs to be large, but then can a pay rise above the headline inflation rate be justified in the minds of the wider population?

I guess the route out is through conditions changes, rather than the headline salary rise. But are either potential party of government going to change those post 2024?

 

[zwk500]

Can anybody have talks tomorrow, or are talks taking place anyway?

Might amount to nought but it's better the prevention than the cure. There will be five days to go before Wednesday if tomorrow. A strike in the past was called off at five days' notice and 95% of trains ran once more (even if 95% of passengers didn't turn up once more)

In order for any meaningful talks to take place, there must be an element of trust and good faith between both sides. I can't see either side trusting the other at the moment.

 

[Russel]

I’m proud that we are standing up to this vile dictatorship of a government and that our union is SOLID.

You should turn your displeasure towards your MP.

But if you have accepted that nothing will change until after the next general election, what will your sporadic, one day strikes achieve between now and then?

Other than you loosing a day's pay...

 

[HamworthyGoods]

And there’s absolutely no guarantee whoever is in government next will suddenly find a magic money tree for the railway.

 

[43066]

But if you have accepted that nothing will change until after the next general election, what will your sporadic, one day strikes achieve between now and then?

Other than you loosing a day's pay...

The alternative is rolling over and accepting a bonfire of Ts and Cs. The objective here is to prevent railway staff ending up being treated like bus drivers have been over the last few decades.

And there’s absolutely no guarantee whoever is in government next will suddenly find a magic money tree for the railway.

It isn’t about a “magic money tree” (that phrase again) it’s about achieving a sensible settlement, and avoiding an opportunistic grab of Ts and Cs (which many on here seem to be in favour of!).

I’ve reported the thread as there’s really nothing new to discuss so it may well be closed shortly.

 

[greyman42]

I’m proud that we are standing up to this vile dictatorship of a government and that our union is SOLID.

Winning a GE with a majority of 80 is hardly a dictatorship, vile or otherwise.

 

[Robertj21a]

And there’s absolutely no guarantee whoever is in government next will suddenly find a magic money tree for the railway.

Quite, there's far too many other important issues for any future government.
All these ongoing strikes will achieve is further disinterest, and less train use, from otherwise potential passengers.

 

[whoosh]

The Government didn't want ant talks to take place for almost the entirety of last year, telling the TOCs they weren't allowed to discuss anything until the DfT had given them permission.
Talks eventually started with RMT in December.
An offer was made to RMT in December.
ASLEF held another strike in January and it was only after this that an offer was given to them (via the media) which was very similar to the one given to RMT.
Why wait a month?

The offer given to ASLEF was made without any talks with them. It wasn't negotiated in any way.

Since then talks have taken place and there seemed to be progress being made.

Then another offer to ASLEF was made - which was worse than the first one!


The Government do not want any resolution to this dispute, so you're in cloud cuckoo land if you think action will be called off by next week.

The strings associated and attached to the pay deal on offer are a massive sticking point. Who wants to not know what their days off are or what time between 00:01 and 23:59 they are to start work in a 'cover week' until the Thursday before? How can you plan meals, childcare, or any sort of other work/life balance with such conditions?

 

[JonathanH]

Meanwhile as inflation falls the situation becomes ever more opaque. To make up for the high inflation we have seen the next pay rise needs to be large, but then can a pay rise above the headline inflation rate be justified in the minds of the wider population?

No, the strikes are about the 2022 pay increase (and terms and conditions). The 2023 pay increase also needs to reflect high inflation.

If inflation falls, then the 2024 pay increase will reflect that fall.