Rail industry preparing for national strikes

[ANorthernGuard]

TSSA are pointless Cortes thinks he has power but actually has very little

It could stop the Guards Managers and so called contingency Guards working trains though.

 

[Carlisle]

It was 47 Saturdays in a Row. We were fighting for more than just pay then though. We were fighting for our very existence (Career wise)

That makes no difference, your colleagues on Scotrail & TPE targeted weekends for several months in a very similar manner purely for wages.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

That makes no difference, your colleagues on Scotrail & TPE targeted weekends for several months in a very similar manner purely for wages,

I cant comment on them. BUT if that's how they feel it is their democratic right.

 

[mandub]

Is this guards or drivers or both?

Possibly but its not like train crew had much of a say in how things operated over the pandemic. Yes the RMT campaigned to have no furlough and were successful (except open access) but ultimately the DfT could have decided to do this if they wanted for those deemed not to be "key workers"

OK that is a fair comment had railway staff been furloughed would have cost the taxpayer money although only 80% of the cost though so technically the industry has only absorbed 3-4B extra cost.

That aside i know loads of people who would have preferred to have been allowed to work not because of the lost earnings just for their mental well being.

I don't remember any of my furloughed mates queueing up to work when the pandemic first broke and it was the images from ICU's in Italy on TV every night and no one knew how bad it would be.

We weren't done a favour by being "allowed" to go into work and keep getting paid.
We were instructed by the govt to go into work.
I resent the govt now putting out the line that we were lucky not to be furloughed.

Not looking for a reward for it.
Understand the economic circumstances and accept no pay award for the last 3 years.
And I don't expect anything close to current inflation rate for this year's pay award. I would accept and I think deep down most traincrew would accept 3 or 4%.
What really grates is that they won't even offer us anything, not even 1% (so far).

 

[Carlisle]

I cant comment on them. BUT if that's how they feel it is their democratic right.

Yes I totally agree.

 

[Siggy1980s]

Of all balloted, 71% voted, with 89% voting strike, 11% against. Now it's serious.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Of all balloted, 71% voted, with 89% voting strike, 11% against.

That's One hell of a blow to the Gov

 

[NI 271]

That aside i know loads of people who would have preferred to have been allowed to work not because of the lost earnings just for their mental well being.

100% agree with this, because I was one of them, albeit one of the lucky ones who did work right through. I dread to think how I'd have been if I hadn't.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

That's One hell of a blow to the Gov

Well what we need is it to be is a wake up call to Shapps so he authorises a half sensible offer to keep negotiations going and see if a way forward can be found.

 

[winks]

sorry but which TOCS have implemented a pay freeze for 3 years ..? It was 2 years from last Jan 21. So a deal is due next year surely ?

 

[Signal_Box]

89% in favour of strike action, 71% of papers returned.

 

[ChrisRS]

Confirmed by the RMT Twitter account now:

RMT declares overwhelming mandate for national strike action on railways
Railway workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action across Network Rail and the train operating companies.
https://t.co/xaa6nORJTU https://t.co/DyYrMwjcus

Website is down as you can imagine

 

[XIX7007177]

Well what we need is it to be is a wake up call to Shapps so he authorises a half sensible offer to keep negotiations going and see if a way forward can be found.

This could of all been avoided by offering a small percentage 6 months ago.

 

[Smidster]

Well I for one and very angry right now.

We need strong anti-strike legislation immediately - Too late for now but it is not right that the RMT can hold the country to ransom whenever they feel like it without any regard for the people that you are harming.

Another Summer down the drain - thanks lads - at least that is tomorrow sorted to cancel all of my plans.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Well I for one and very angry right now.

We need strong anti-strike legislation immediately - Too late for now but it is not right that the RMT can hold the country to ransom whenever they feel like it without any regard for the people that you are harming.

Another Summer down the drain - thanks lads - at least that is tomorrow sorted to cancel all of my plans.

Oh Well, Nevermind. Its a UK Citizens RIGHT to withdraw Labour

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 May 2022 ==

RMT declares overwhelming mandate for national strike action on railways
Railway workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action across Network Rail and the train operating companies, in the biggest endorsement for industrial action by railway workers since privatisation.
71% of those balloted took part in the vote with 89% voting in favour of strike action and only 11% voting against.
The union will now be demanding urgent talks with Network Rail and the 15 train operating companies that were balloted to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute over pay, jobs and safety.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch: "Today's overwhelming endorsement by railway workers is a vindication of the union's approach and sends a clear message that members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies.
"Our NEC will now meet to discuss a timetable for strike action from mid-June, but we sincerely hope ministers will encourage the employers to return to the negotiating table and hammer out a reasonable settlement with the RMT.

 

[Signal_Box]

Well I for one and very angry right now.

We need strong anti-strike legislation immediately - Too late for now but it is not right that the RMT can hold the country to ransom whenever they feel like it without any regard for the people that you are harming.

Another Summer down the drain - thanks lads - at least that is tomorrow sorted to cancel all of my plans.

The ballot returned a legal mandate against already strict legislation what more do you want ?

 

[footprints]

From the RMT website:

The following companies have voted for strike action and action short of strike:

Network Rail

Chiltern Railways,
Cross Country Trains,
Greater Anglia,
LNER,
East Midlands Railway,
c2c,
Great Western Railway,
Northern Trains,
South Eastern
South Western Railway
Transpennine Express,
Avanti West Coast,
West Midlands Trains

The following company voted for action short of strike:

GTR (including Gatwick Express)

No mention of the Island Line. Perhaps that ballot didn't meet the legal thresholds for strike action or action short of a strike.

 

[mandub]

Well I for one and very angry right now.

We need strong anti-strike legislation immediately - Too late for now but it is not right that the RMT can hold the country to ransom whenever they feel like it without any regard for the people that you are harming.

Another Summer down the drain - thanks lads - at least that is tomorrow sorted to cancel all of my plans.

You could also be angry with the govt for not authorising any pay award offer to head off the likelihood of any strike action.

 

[SignallerJohn]

Well I for one and very angry right now.

We need strong anti-strike legislation immediately - Too late for now but it is not right that the RMT can hold the country to ransom whenever they feel like it without any regard for the people that you are harming.

Another Summer down the drain - thanks lads - at least that is tomorrow sorted to cancel all of my plans.

You’ll be okay

 

[baz962]

From the RMT website.

No mention of the Island Line. Perhaps that ballot didn't meet the legal thresholds for strike action or action short of a strike.

I believe the island line refused to support any action

 

[NI 271]

Well I for one and very angry right now.

We need strong anti-strike legislation immediately - Too late for now but it is not right that the RMT can hold the country to ransom whenever they feel like it without any regard for the people that you are harming.

Another Summer down the drain - thanks lads - at least that is tomorrow sorted to cancel all of my plans.

I can't have any sympathy for anyone who thinks someone else's industrial dispute is about himself. Work five days a week do you, smidster? Get holiday pay? Sick pay? Want to hazard a guess as to how they came about?

 

[DNCharingX]

Good luck to the workers!

RMT website is down so I can't find out what this is about, though.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Oh Well, Nevermind. Its a UK Citizens RIGHT to withdraw Labour

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 May 2022 ==

RMT declares overwhelming mandate for national strike action on railways
Railway workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action across Network Rail and the train operating companies, in the biggest endorsement for industrial action by railway workers since privatisation.
71% of those balloted took part in the vote with 89% voting in favour of strike action and only 11% voting against.
The union will now be demanding urgent talks with Network Rail and the 15 train operating companies that were balloted to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute over pay, jobs and safety.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch: "Today's overwhelming endorsement by railway workers is a vindication of the union's approach and sends a clear message that members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies.
"Our NEC will now meet to discuss a timetable for strike action from mid-June, but we sincerely hope ministers will encourage the employers to return to the negotiating table and hammer out a reasonable settlement with the RMT.

At least Lynch is giving the govt an opportunity here to avoid action

 

[Monty]

We weren't done a favour by being "allowed" to go into work and keep getting paid.
We were instructed by the govt to go into work.
I resent the govt now putting out the line that we were lucky not to be furloughed.

This 100%, it was proper scary for the first few months of the pandemic when we knew little about the virus, no vaccine, no ppe. Still had to go in all the same. Not looking for a reward or a special little badge either but to say we were 'lucky' furloughed is taking the p@$#!

 

[Moonshot]

Well I for one and very angry right now.

We need strong anti-strike legislation immediately - Too late for now but it is not right that the RMT can hold the country to ransom whenever they feel like it without any regard for the people that you are harming.

Another Summer down the drain - thanks lads - at least that is tomorrow sorted to cancel all of my plans.

Hold the country to ransom? It's not as if everyone in the UK actually bothers with trains. Those that do will simply find an alternative way to travel , or work from home.

 

[Paul Jones 88]

Typical, the people of this country have been through hell for two and a half years, the economy is in severe trouble, inflation is at a forty year record high, the one pleasure that we have is to take a train to the coast or to see extended family and these bloody dinosaurs want a strike.
People need to get to work and a lot of them rely on the train.
One of my colleagues told me that if he loses a day's work because of a rail strike he will be recovering the loss by means of fare evasion on the railway, how many more people will be thinking similar thoughts?

 

[muz379]

Well I for one and very angry right now.

We need strong anti-strike legislation immediately - Too late for now but it is not right that the RMT can hold the country to ransom whenever they feel like it without any regard for the people that you are harming.

Another Summer down the drain - thanks lads - at least that is tomorrow sorted to cancel all of my plans.

Workplace democracy , the union can't just unilaterally call strikes it needs support from its members which we have seen here is overwhelmingly the case .

 

[Andyh82]

From the RMT website:

No mention of the Island Line. Perhaps that ballot didn't meet the legal thresholds for strike action or action short of a strike.

Also no mention of Grand Central, Hull Trains, London Overground, Merseyrail, and whatever the TOC that operates the Elizabeth Line would now be called

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Typical, the people of this country have been through hell for two and a half years, the economy is in severe trouble, inflation is at a forty year record high, the one pleasure that we have is to take a train to the coast or to see extended family and these bloody dinosaurs want a strike.
People need to get to work and a lot of them rely on the train.
One of my colleagues told me that if he loses a day's work because of a rail strike he will be recovering the loss by means of fare evasion on the railway, how many more people will be thinking similar thoughts?

So Practically the the 1000s upon 1000s of Rail Workers are all dinosaurs...ok then

 

[Dai Corner]

Hold the country to ransom? It's not as if everyone in the UK actually bothers with trains. Those that do will simply find an alternative way to travel , or work from home.

Indeed. As has been said several times in this thread, even a strike shutting down the railways for weeks won't impact that many people. See also: Miners' strike 1984.