It’s a lot to read but if you’re annoyed about the rail strikes today it’s worth the read. I have family members who work on the railways. 2 are drivers. Train drivers are not striking
Ps don’t believe the media constantly saying the strikes are train drivers wanting a pay rise - we are not the ones striking - it’s almost every other role that is striking for good reasons, for your safety
The nationwide railway strikes started today and I want to go over some facts because god knows the media and government continue to lie.
- Just so we're clear, the government runs Network Rail and the companies are now running under management contracts not the old franchise system, so again Government has a lot more control of the railways than people realise, this includes fares (and always has done) hence why the chancellor and not the companies themselves announce the rise in ticket cost every year.
- Government plans to cut Network Rail's maintenance calendar in half, that means less safety inspections, track work etc.
The last time this happened the country was plagued with a number of fatal rail accidents.
- Government wants to cut Network Rail staff by 2,660, mostly safety critical track workers
- It seems the government and train companies were planning to quietly close every ticket office in England, the union reported this a few months back and foolishly many of us thought it was scaremongering, we were wrong and we're now hearing it from the papers as opposed to our own companies.
- Train Drivers are very well paid, if you were responsible for several hundred tons of metal, carrying several hundred people at speeds up to 125mph, you'd want to be well paid too.
- With the above being said, Train drivers are not taking part in this strike.
- This strike is being carried out by nearly every other roll on the railway network.
- Government and the rail companies want to cut our working conditions, benefits and pay in some cases.
- 4 different unions have tried to negotiate with the rail companies but they've been told not to budge by government.
- We are fighting for a pay rise, the media makes out as if that is greedy. It is not. The whole nation should be asking for a pay rise.
How can there be no money when time and time again we see companies in various industries making record profits?
It doesn't add up.
- Transport minister, Grant Shapps but out a claim that the average rail worker earns £44,000. He is a liar but I wish it was true.
The math when averaged out and including drivers certainly comes up with numbers like that but in fact most of the people taking part in these strikes are paid half that amount or less.
- The RMT union put out an open letter, calling for a face to face meeting with the chancellor and the transport minister to come to an agreement, they did not accept the meeting and then blamed the union, calling it a publicity stunt when even now meetings are taking place to try and put an end to this.
- Grant Shapps is a liar!
- Grant Shapps scolded P&O ferries for the way they used agency workers but now threatens to replace us with untrained and underpaid agency staff - more hypocrisy and dangerous.
- To touch on the "average" of £44k, I'm paid around £25k a year in the ticket office and outside of driver and guard, that's one of the better paid rolls, so where does £44k come from?
- £26k may seem a lot to sell tickets but I'd argue it's fair at the very least.
I have a 4 platform station and am the only staff member here.
During disruption I'm the only person people on my station can turn to.
It can be a very high stress job.
I am spoken to like dirt on a regular basis for things that are beyond my control.
We have to see to the ticket machines they want to replace us with, god knows what they'll do when we're not here as they're forever breaking down.
I often have to clean smashed glass, pee, poop or vomit and that happens on many stations and many colleagues have to deal with it too, there's lots of little bits people just don't think about.
We deal with a lot on the railway, so if we've chosen to fight in this vast a number, it's because we've been made to feel there is no choice left.