To think this spineless government will give in to grabby train drivers

Not news to me. It's a race to the bottom for which important job ought to work longer hours? Since you appear to have a very important job, then perhaps you should have longer hours?

The people who whine most are the ones who never fight for their own conditions, whine about their low pay, or their worse conditions. Anyone who is worse off is allowed to do something about it. Like the doctors are!

Oh I am totally behind any workers fighting to improve their position. But yes, much of the rest of the country is fed up of the "woe is us poor Londoners" crap. If London is so bad, then leave. Find out how much better it is in the rest of the country. On the other hand, if your tubes are not running for a bit, get a bus.

And pay is not the only issue behind the strikes, but I guess you wouldn't care about that.

The RMMT has said train managers need extra pay to check digital tickets as that’s not included in the duties for which they are paid. Does that seem reasonable?

it appears that their complaint is actually they have less opportunity to earn commission on on-board sales. So, as train companies get better at ensuring people have tickets, which is a good thing, and train managers jobs get easier they want more money…

Train guards refuse to scan e-tickets and demand ‘technology payment’

www.thetimes.com/article/d68aaca6-25f4-4052-85e4-2ff2f9fd65e5?shareToken=7dc12d6e0ad08e3a261e4eff6e738612

The total hours worked is irrelevant. Shift patterns are what matter and switching from late shifts on the Saturday night to early shifts on Monday morning is absolutely knackering.

Is that news to you? That's surprising...

It was an example to show that lots of important jobs work far longer hours, so train drivers on massively reduced hours are fine. They don't need reduced work hours, that argument has no merit - it's not anywhere approaching a safety issue.

@EmmaMaria no they aren’t ’my servants’ they are already well paid. Bizarre comment. You sound bitter and angry.

I think the usual anti-Londoner feeling is behind some of these posts rather than any solidarity with tube drivers.

They provide a vital service to society and have the ability to fight for better pay and conditions. So many of the best paid roles in society are those which would have minimal impact on the lives of others if they disappeared altogether. Yet, those who whinge about those in vital roles wanting better pay never seem to complain about the pay of useless professions. We need bin men, train drivers, nurses etc. - we don't need hedge fund managers.

No it wasn't my choice to live in a place where public transport is poor - welcome to almost anywhere outside London. There are more millions of us who don't live in London and we also need good infrastructure - which we also pay for but do not get.

Train drivers also have to "pay through the nose" to live there. They aren't your servants. Get over it.

It’s our problem now the government has decided it knows how to run a railway so has nationalised it. It’s odd, as they haven’t shown any ability to run the things they were already responsible for 😂

My heart bleeds

@EmmaMariayiur choice to live somewhere with one bus an hour? Londoners pay through the nose to live here and we need good infrastructure as there are millions of us.

Tube strikes should be limited by law to only one day.

You think a doctor on call for 24 hours at a time is safe?

I am sorry that the strike inconveniences you. Perhaps you could ask the pickets for a "low-paid pass"? Or if you are unhappy with your pay and career choices, you could change them - or join a union and fight for better conditions?

Meanwhile, in the rest of the country, we don't have the wide range of 24 hour public transport that London does, so we are weeping for you. Around here the "once an hour if it doesn't go missing bus" starts at 7am and stops at 10:30pm, although half the time the last bus is cancelled, and a taxi which is the only alternative costs £17+ each way.

When the rest of the country gets the kind of infrastucture investment that London does, we might feel a bit more sorry for you.

I presume everyone cheering them on doesn’t rely on the tube. I’m a Londoner and been through many, many tube strikes. Some years I was an office temp, and would lose a day’s wages as I literally couldn’t get to work. I’m sure this will now apply to many people. The tube strikers don’t seem to have much solidarity with the low paid workers their strikes affect.

For this strike I won’t be able to get to Heathrow to help my elderly mum, and I won’t be able to do a trip on the Sunday for which I paid a lot of money, as I can’t get to Victoria to get the train. I’ll also have a visitor staying who will have most of his trip spoiled as it will be hard to get to central London for most of the time he is here, and also have to spend a fortune on a taxi to the airport. Thankful to be able to work from home so I can actually get paid this time around.

Yes. This.

That is ridiculous. NHS doctors can be on call for 24 hours at a time. You think a train driver on 35 hours a week is dangerously fatigued?

Yes obv ticket payments etc allow some self funding. However, for example

‘In the 2024 Autumn Budget the Government announced a one-year settlement of £485m for 2025/26. This will ensure that London's transport network can continue to support new homes, economic growth, jobs and productivity in London and the UK.’

I’m talking about the tube. Tube drivers. Which is what the strike is.

Network rail / train drivers, I agree they do a different job of course.

Both wrong.

Many of those sectors strike. Birmingham is still going through a binmen strike now.

I have no issue with this. Good for them.

Have a strong union and being willing to strike means a mainly working class profession enjoys decent wages and benefits.

The fact other workers let their employers walk all over them is not TFL’s problem.

Because the cost will ultimately be born by the end customer (or the tax payer), many of whom are not benefitting from inflation linked pay increases…

I won't take any lessons from the US on road safety.

If it's so easy, why don't you apply for the job?

Then maybe you'll discover that there's far more to it than you thought.

Actually, no. TfL (almost uniquely among urban public transport operators around the world) covers its own operating costs through the farebox.