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Original poster

Tube Union parasites want to strike on Royal Wedding Day

69 replies

longfingernails · 10/01/2011 13:39

Why?

Supposedly, the tube drivers want 3 days pay for every bank holiday they work, plus a day off in lieu. Absolutely ridiculous.

It is high time we had a mass sacking of RMT and ASLEF members. No, we don't need 20 useless RMT staff saying "this train is about to depart" or "move right inside the carriages" on the platforms. Automate the trains, like they do in so many other countries.

And there are plenty of people who would be glad of the (rather easy) work, at half the salary and perks.

OP posts:
Ormirian · 10/01/2011 16:43

Snap heathen!

tiredemma · 10/01/2011 16:43

I'd love to know what you do for a living that's so highly-skilled and of deep worth to society, given that you're on here on a Monday afternoon giving us the benefit of your opinion on who you consider to be 'parasites'. I'm not that keen on Bob Crow but your attitudes seem not to have progressed beyond the Tolpuddle-era"

Im a Psychiatric Nurse, in a medium secure hospital. I get punched, spat at and verbally abused- I find people almost dead at having tried to hang themselves, I actually remove the ligature quite frequently. I console the women who self harm- shall I go on??
I earn just under 22k a year for my role.

I think I am worth more than that, I dont think deserve I 45K a year but more than 22k, why should an underground driver earn more than me?
I cant strike either by the way.

The reason im on here on a monday afternoon? day off. perk of the job.

Original poster
longfingernails · 10/01/2011 16:41

I work as a manager in a mid-sized private sector company in London. Don't want to say any more than that.

OP posts:
schroeder · 10/01/2011 16:41

What Bobthebudha said. It is a very responsible job.

NannyState · 10/01/2011 16:40

excuse poor grammar/typos - typing with two yr old on knee

ChoChoSan · 10/01/2011 16:40

What's your job, LFN?

NannyState · 10/01/2011 16:40

London tube stataions are woefully under-staffed. The ticket office is manned for a few hours a day at ours, no security other than cameras - it's grim.

I don't necessarily agree with the all their unions' demands, but I do not think a'mass sacking' of anyone is the answer, especially not in this climate.

Oh, and which cities?@longfingernails.

Very few cities in the world have such an extensive, heavily used underground system as London does. It is VITAL to the functioning of the city, and so the workers / unions have real power. Unusual in this day and age,. i think its quite interesting, really, watching this all play out....

p.s. I'm pretty happy with the above conditons. Its nothing compared to hundreds of thousands of private sector workers get for performing far less demanding/vital roles.

imright · 10/01/2011 16:38

Bob Crow is an arse. I once caught him hailing a taxi and said what about the tube?
and also "all out brothers!" and his reply?

"and sisters too!". I LOL, still don't like him though. Grin

Original poster
longfingernails · 10/01/2011 16:38

We could also sort out whether the travelling public feel that value is added by having some RMT bod saying "please mind the gap" and "please move right down inside the carriages" on every platform, or whether they would prefer lower fares.

OP posts:
Original poster
longfingernails · 10/01/2011 16:35

Other cities manage automated underground systems very nicely. Absolutely no reason London should be different.

Here's a thought - why not have periodic online referenda for season ticket holders to vote on terms and conditions? We would see what London's travelling public truly want.

If the regularly travelling public are happy for Tube drivers to earn £45k a year, work in a closed shop, be unsackable even for gross breaches of safety, have 7 weeks of holiday a year, and get free travel for themselves and their family, then I would be happy to abide by the result.

OP posts:
imright · 10/01/2011 16:35

Why don't these idiot drivers give it a rest? they are always striking! they are higher paid than most.

bobthebuddha · 10/01/2011 16:33

"The Jubilee line extension platform doors are a good way to prevent suicides."

Great, let's install them on every line straightaway! And automate everything right now! And how much do you think it would cost to install all this? I thought you were of the opinion that there's no money to spend. Suddenly it appears such things can be done at the click of a finger.

I'd love to know what you do for a living that's so highly-skilled and of deep worth to society, given that you're on here on a Monday afternoon giving us the benefit of your opinion on who you consider to be 'parasites'. I'm not that keen on Bob Crow but your attitudes seem not to have progressed beyond the Tolpuddle-era.

tiredemma · 10/01/2011 16:29

"Bob Crow is an arse.
A throwback to the Seventies"

Ill drink to that.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 10/01/2011 16:25

I disagree. I know about signalling systems and you are wrong. BTW, it's possible to have a debate without resorting to suggesting a worker is a parasite and think you should withdraw your comment as extremely offensive. Angry

Original poster
longfingernails · 10/01/2011 16:21

On lines like Victoria, which are already automated, the only reason drivers are there at all is because of the RMT.

They are totally unnecessary for operation. And if they are functionally unnecessary, their job certainly isn't highly skilled.

OP posts:
midnightexpress · 10/01/2011 16:16

"There are very few people who can run large banks."

There sure are. The present incumbents not being among them, it seems.

And yes, you are being extremely offensive. Do tell us how you got your information on the skills required to drive a tube train.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 10/01/2011 16:13

LFN, it's a very skilled job and you are being offensive.

Original poster
longfingernails · 10/01/2011 16:11

Yes, I do think they are cushy and low-skilled. Trains can be automated - they are in so many other countries.

The Jubilee line extension platform doors are a good way to prevent suicides.

Tube drivers, especially on lines like Victoria, do almost nothing. They choose left or right - and then open the doors. And when they can't even get that right, Brother Bob decides to call a strike.

OP posts:
bobthebuddha · 10/01/2011 16:08

So LFN, you think an LU train driver's job is both 'cushy' and 'low skilled'? Well I for one do not.

This is someone who is in charge of a large lump of metal filled with people in a hot underground tunnel designed over a hundred years ago, with a complex system of points & tracks and sharing space with a large number of other lumps of metal. Said drivers are responsible for the safety of the people inside their lumps of metal and the chances of having to witness someone jump in front of them are quite high. I'd like to see you climb down from your ivory bloody tower and do it for one single day. But those long finger nails weren't designed for lower-class manual work, were they? Just for typing ridiculous diatribes against people who are no better or worse than anyone else, just (shudder) considered 'low skilled'. You're a piece of work, you really are.

Original poster
longfingernails · 10/01/2011 16:08

If the boss of RBS makes £10bn profit for the British taxpayer (I am not sure whether he will or not), he is worth every penny of that £2m. There are very few people who can run large banks.

There are millions of people who can push a button which opens doors on either the left or right hand side - though it seems RMT members are not amongst them:

www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23679196-victoria-line-comes-to-a-halt-in-rock-solid-train-driver-strike.do

OP posts:
southeastastra · 10/01/2011 16:07

blimey would you do it for £25 also agree with heroine

midnightexpress · 10/01/2011 16:03

What Heroine said.

I'd rather see them get a decent wage than the boss of RBS get a £2m bonus.

Original poster
longfingernails · 10/01/2011 16:00

Heroine Nonsense. They could offer these cushy jobs at £25k, and I can guarantee they would be taken, and fast. There is no undersupply of low-skilled people wanting a job, even in London.

Imagine how much ordinary commuters (almost all earning far less than £45k) could save in fares if tube drivers were paid £25k instead of £45k.

OP posts:
Imarriedafrog · 10/01/2011 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Heroine · 10/01/2011 15:55

I think you are all being ridiculous - the raildrivers pay is NOT more than the market rate. Their employers want to pay less than the market rate, but if they offer lower than the market rate, they don't get drivers, thats how the market works, and why traindrivers' pay is so high - its amazing to me that the freemarketeer are anti-union, when in this dispute, exercise of union power is enforcing market pricing of staff over what the company wants to pay to make a profit- if there were more train drivers, the arguments would be difficult to have - there aren't their market suffers from undersupply and that is why their negotiating position is strong.

What bloody annoys me is that doctors, and solicitors act in markets where there is an oversupply at degree-end, as well as possible international supply (i mean should the market rate for a solicitor's letter be circa £60 for a half-hours work when the legal experience needed to do this in 90% of cases is minimal??)

You anti-unionists are usually anti-working-class-earning-a-lot-of-money-ists and don't rail on half as much about the professional bodies protecting their own salaries (CEOs Bankers, Doctors, Laywers, Architects etc etc have much tighter salary controls, much more influential unions (sorry 'professional bodies'),

Triple time for a bank-holiday, especially a highly significant one as this, is hardly that unreasonable - I would bet, though, that your local GPs callout rete charged to the practice and tax payer is a darn sight higher than a one-day traindriver's salary.