Rail industry preparing for national strikes

[baz962]

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

I believe Overground are going to be balloted. But that's ASLEF on the driver side. This was RMT , so guards and signallers mainly.

 

[Cardiff123]

I think Transport for Wales is now the only major TOC in Britain that is not in dispute with ASLEF or the RMT. But of course if Network Rail staff go on strike, no trains will be able to run in Wales & the English Borders anyway.

 

[footprints]

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

None of them were balloted. Not yet anyway. Unlike the Island Line.

 

[Signal_Box]

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?

I’d suggest he’ll be looking at a magistrate’s court when he’s caught then, very foolish.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

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.

This compared to the Miners Strike is ridiculous and it will impact many many people. Leisure Travel is actually Higher than pre pandemic levels and day to day travel is over 75%

 

[Signal_Box]

I think Transport for Wales is now the only major TOC in Britain that is not in dispute with ASLEF or the RMT. But of course if Network Rail staff go on strike, no trains will be able to run in Wales & the English Borders anyway.

They can still run a service using their own signalling staff north of Radyr.

 

[the sniper]

See also: Miners' strike 1984.

Never heard of it. Was it like the 1982 railway strike that finished off the railway and its unions?

 

[ANorthernGuard]

I think Transport for Wales is now the only major TOC in Britain that is not in dispute with ASLEF or the RMT. But of course if Network Rail staff go on strike, no trains will be able to run in Wales & the English Borders anyway.

Thats because they were offered a reasonable pay agreement

 

[HullRailMan]

So the turkeys have voted for Christmas. Just remember folks how well the RMT did protecting those jobs at P&O.

strikes = reduced passenger demand = reduced service levels = fewer jobs. The RMT are among the biggest bunch of muppets going.

 

[DanNCL]

Well many of them have no doubt just requested their P45s without realising it. This will be used as an opportunity to ditch any member of staff they can through redundancy.

I appreciate that workers are unhappy, I'm also unhappy at how rail workers are treated, but please have consideration for the people that ultimately pay your wages which is the fare paying customer - they can and will now take their business elsewhere, find other methods of transport more convenient than the train and never return. Your employer not considering the paying customer isn't a reason not to consider them yourself, what happened to two wrongs don't make a right.

The government now need to urgently step in and pass legislation to prevent this havoc. It would conveniently allow them to bury the Sue Grey report too, which as much as I don't like the idea of that happening ultimately stopping this havoc on the railways is the right thing to do.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

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

GC and HT are open access operators and not subject to the DfT calling the shots. Merseyrail is devolved locally and TfL Rail run Elizabeth Line, again devolved locally. They are all currently under different negotiation progress positions

 

[wagnaga]

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 legislation around being able to call a strike was changed to make it much harder for the unions to call strike. This ballot has hit both thresholds despite that. Yes strikes will have an impact on people but they'd be pointless if they didn't.

 

[LoogaBarooga]

Fantastic result. Well done to all concerned.

 

[Monty]

So the turkeys have voted for Christmas. Just remember folks how well the RMT did protecting those jobs at P&O.

strikes = reduced passenger demand = reduced service levels = fewer jobs. The RMT are among the biggest bunch of muppets going.

So basically, bend over and take it? Cheers then.

 

[Andyh82]

So the turkeys have voted for Christmas. Just remember folks how well the RMT did protecting those jobs at P&O.

strikes = reduced passenger demand = reduced service levels = fewer jobs. The RMT are among the biggest bunch of muppets going.

I still can’t get over how the RMT demanded a payment to be made when conductors were given new technology to make their job easier. That would be laughed out of the room in most industries.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Well many of them have no doubt just requested their P45s without realising it. This will be used as an opportunity to ditch any member of staff they can through redundancy.

I appreciate that workers are unhappy, I'm also unhappy at how rail workers are treated, but please have consideration for the people that ultimately pay your wages which is the fare paying customer - they can and will now take their business elsewhere, find other methods of transport more convenient than the train and never return. Your employer not considering the paying customer isn't a reason not to consider them yourself, what happened to two wrongs don't make a right.

The government now need to urgently step in and pass legislation to prevent this havoc. It would conveniently allow them to bury the Sue Grey report too, which as much as I don't like the idea of that happening ultimately stopping this havoc on the railways is the right thing to do.

So because its inconvenient bring in even more Anti Union legislation when we have some of the strictest in Europe. The more Democracy is buried the more you have a dictatorship

 

[gimmea50anyday]

@DanNCL or instead they could get their backsides around the negotiating table and come to a mutual agreement that would be beneficial for the staff and the industry. Would that be much easier than rushing countermeasuring legislation through parlaiment?

 

[davews]

I have never had to work in a job which was unionised so guess should not comment. But throughout my life I have always considered strike action something nobody should be doing and never have any sympathy for RMT and their tactics. Ok it will only affect me for leisure trips but it will certainly affect me and tonight's vote is very bad news for me and I guess many others. Sorry.

 

[danielcanning]

The legislation around being able to call a strike was changed to make it much harder for the unions to call strike. This ballot has hit both thresholds despite that. Yes strikes will have an impact on people but they'd be pointless if they didn't.

That’s the point though, against this government it is pointless, in fact all the RMT will do is give the Tories the justification to further limit strikes and unions…

 

[ComUtoR]

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.

So what is the problem then ? If there is no or little impact then does it matter if they strike ?

 

[DanNCL]

So because its inconvenient bring in even more Anti Union legislation when we have some of the strictest in Europe. The more Democracy is buried the more you have a dictatorship

Has nothing to do with being inconvenient and everything to do with an essential service shutting down. Hospitals aren't allowed to shut under a strike, nor is any other "essential" service, so why should the railway be any different.

@DanNCL or instead they could get their backsides around the negotiating table and come to a mutual agreement that would be beneficial for the staff and the industry. Would that be much easier than rushing countermeasuring legislation through parlaiment?

If it was just one or two operators yes, and obviously they should be going to the negotiating table regardless. When it's on such a large scale the public interest needs to be put first, or people will quit travelling by train en masse for good.

 

[Dai Corner]

Never heard of it. Was it like the 1982 railway strike that finished off the railway and its unions?

For those of us old enough to remember, reminiscent of the miners' strike in that the union was deluded in thinking they could win. Most people just watched the saga on the TV News and got in with their lives as normal.

 

[Andyh82]

Yes Sack The Strikers...Get rid if the unions...Then get rid of the 35 hour week, sick pay, maternity pay etc.etc. all won by the unions

I work in a non unionised private sector company and I have all those benefits available to me

 

[Monty]

I still can’t get over how the RMT demanded a payment to be made when conductors were given new technology to make their job easier. That would be laughed out of the room in most industries.

Comments like this really highlight how little how the general public and people on this forum understand the issue at hand.

This isn't some action by a few guards, this is everybody including all the platform and clerical grades who are on a lot less than I am.

 

[Dai Corner]

So what is the problem then ? If there is no or little impact then does it matter if they strike ?

It's a good opportunity to see how we get in without the railways and which bits could be closed without much/any adverse effect.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Has nothing to do with being inconvenient and everything to do with an essential service shutting down. Hospitals aren't allowed to shut under a strike, nor is any other "essential" service, so why should the railway be any different.


If it was just one or two operators yes, and obviously they should be going to the negotiating table regardless. When it's on such a large scale the public interest needs to be put first, or people will quit travelling by train en masse for good.

The reason it is such a large scale is the strength of feeling from Rail Staff including myself. Now the Gov needs to get around a table and start negotiating a fair and acceptable deal.

 

[DMckduck]

Where is the poster who was adamant the signallers wouldn’t cross the threshold

 

[theking]

Glad to see such a strong turnout and such an overwhelming majority for strike well done to those RMT members.

 

[Gems]

Row back, row back.

The usual suspects who wanted all Northern guards who fought for their jobs sacked a few years ago have just arrived at the forum platform 1.

My view is this. Can't stand the RMT hierarchy, nobody will ever convince me that they haven't just waited for this moment. And right on cue, the Tories have delivered one.
We have to be careful about strikes. It comes to the point where you have lost more money than you will gain, and that point is usually only a few weeks into the action. So I am hoping a overtime ban will be the way.

I wasn't in support of this. One man's pay rise is another man's price rise. But I'll tell you what. If I hear any government minister telling me I was lucky not to be furloughed, I'll be the first one out. We worked through the height of this pandemic keeping so called key industries going. No masks, no vaccinations, just a lot of uncertainty and risk. How dare any government minister say that when it was them who brought the economy crashing down.

 

[Monty]

I work in a non unionised private sector company and I have all those benefits available to me

Even if your workplace is not unionised it's likely the benefits you enjoy today are there because of the historical precedents made by unions in the past. You cannot take that for granted.