SWR drivers to be balloted - ASLEF

[Annetts key]

There surely has to be a better way than just eternal conflict between unions and management.

It’s only when normal negotiations fail that you ever hear about a dispute in the media or in public. And despite what union bashers say, in most areas, there have been long periods of time over the last twenty odd years since many of these various groups of employees have been on strike. It was only in the last quarter of 2021, when the government decided to get hard ball that the problems started.

IMHO, if the government had been more reasonable back then, two year pay deals could have been all sorted. And this would have been before inflation and interest rates increased to the highest levels for a very long time.

So maybe the better question is, how did we get such an incompetent government?

 

[whoosh]

Industrial relations with SWR/SWT drivers have been good for many years, I don’t think there’s been a company wide dispute that has got anywhere close to a strike in the last 20 years.
Due to the nature of collective bargaining there’s always an element of back & forth between the company & unions, if only for both sides to feel that they’ve made headway before coming to an agreement. It’s either that or ‘take what you’re given‘ as has become the norm else where, along with collapsing living standards.

It’s only when normal negotiations fail that you ever hear about a dispute in the media or in public. And despite what union bashers say, in most areas, there have been long periods of time over the last twenty odd years since many of these various groups of employees have been on strike. It was only in the last quarter of 2021, when the government decided to get hard ball that the problems started.

IMHO, if the government had been more reasonable back then, two year pay deals could have been all sorted. And this would have been before inflation and interest rates increased to the highest levels for a very long time.

So maybe the better question is, how did we get such an incompetent government?

I'm glad you've both pointed this out. Chiltern and LNER (and its forerunners VTEC, NXEC, and GNER) never had any industrial action from Drivers either. In fact with those two, I don't think any staff at all!

 

[winks]

So maybe the better question is, how did we get such an incompetent government?

This.

Extends to all areas of the public services…..Railways, DVLA, NHS.

I had an interview the other month at a high level agency which is part of the Ministry of Defence, the interviewer was saying that the govt had hollowed our pay so much over the last 10 years staff were now at “mutiny stage” these guys are normally very timid engineers and scientists that keep the country safe from threats. For me the general election can’t come soon enough.

 

[43096]

For me the general election can’t come soon enough.

Is there a new magic money tree available after the general election?

 

[Dieseldriver]

So maybe the better question is, how did we get such an incompetent government?

Because too many people were thick enough to vote them in?

 

[winks]

Is there a new magic money tree available after the general election?

Yes I believe there will be.

Governments find money for all sorts of things!

 

[43066]

Is there a new magic money tree available after the general election?

The government seems to have found one for millionaire pensioners before the election. Yet certain people only seem bothered about train drivers on £70k per year….

 

[Annetts key]

Is there a new magic money tree available after the general election?

Yeah, obviously. It’s next to the yellow brick road and the gold at the end of the rainbow

 

[Mag_seven]

I think we will draw this one to a close until the result of any ballot is known.

thanks all