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Original poster

Do you support the train strike?

65 replies

fayree · 19/07/2023 07:26

I overheard an argument between a passenger and an obnoxious ‘train manager’ yesterday. The railway worker claimed that everyone supports them, and how someone of his experience deserves higher pay. Apparently they earn £40k with no qualifications.

It got me thinking, do you actually know anyone who does support them? Amongst my friends, I don’t have a single person who I have spoken to who supports them. Most of my friends are fairly liberal and left leaning too, and do support the doctors strike.

OP posts:
YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 19/07/2023 07:29

I do. I support anyone’s right to strike.

I support the rail strikes as they are about an issue bigger than pay: conditions, the network, public services, safety.

somewhereovertherain · 19/07/2023 07:31

We gave up on trains round here 3 years ago. So couldn’t careless as hopeless services and hopeless over paid staff.

AutisticLegoLover · 19/07/2023 07:36

The whole thing is pissing me off now because it's not achieving anything so far despite months of disruption. I rely on the trains because I don't drive. Things need sorting out so we can get back to normal. Renationalise the trains maybe? I know someone who proudly says her youngish husband has no school/college qualifications and earns £65K. I know it's not just about pay though. So yes and no.

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TiredArse · 19/07/2023 07:36

Yes. I do.

dubyalass · 19/07/2023 07:37

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 19/07/2023 07:29

I do. I support anyone’s right to strike.

I support the rail strikes as they are about an issue bigger than pay: conditions, the network, public services, safety.

This.

Direct your ire at governments who sell off public services, not the people on the ground trying to work and deal with the increasingly angry public while having their pay and T&Cs eroded.

SupremeCommanderServalan · 19/07/2023 07:38

I support the strikes. I travel by train all the time, and want it to be as safe as possible for everyone.

My dad was a lifelong train driver, and I can assure anyone thinking that they are overpaid that he most certainly wasn't. He suffered greatly with the amount of suicides that he dealt with over the years.

Original poster
fayree · 19/07/2023 07:54

I’m just fed up of having my plans ruined my train strikes! I suppose it’s complicated isn’t it, things like counters need to be kept open if used. But for pay? Hmm

OP posts:
caffelattetogo · 19/07/2023 07:56

Yes, the money in their pocket is decreasing in real terms. And I want ticket offices to stay open to help vulnerable people.

SirChenjins · 19/07/2023 07:58

No, not at all.

Maddy70 · 19/07/2023 07:59

I support them

daisychaindays · 19/07/2023 08:03

Potentially to start with but now I just feel it's overtly and disproportionately impacting people who don't drive for medical reasons for example

purpleros · 19/07/2023 08:04

nope.

LobsterCrab · 19/07/2023 08:08

No I don't. Train drivers have not had their pay eroded in the same way as other public sector workers - or even compared to the private sector! See graph below.

Do you support the train strike?
Knackeredhamster · 19/07/2023 08:10

Not this particular time.

Trying to get to my DC's graduation 100s of miles away and there's a strike in both the days I've booked to travel.

Every time I get on a train in this country there's a fucking problem, delay, breakdown, bus replacement service.

I don't even travel by train that often but it doesn't matter, going by the problems I've had I'm fairly sure it's happening on the other days I don't.

I'm disabled and can't drive. I love trains but the whole system is a bloody joke.

Bellajac · 19/07/2023 08:12

No. It's very easy for people who don't rely on trains to say they support them. I'm self employed and rely on trains to get to work. My 30 minute journey takes me 3 hours or more each way on buses.

When I'm standing at a bus stop at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning the people around me having to find a way to get to work are care workers, hospital workers, retail workers. Not the government. They're targeting the wrong people.

They have made my life a misery. And next week there are tube strikes as well. I have no sympathy at all.

AnotherDelphinium · 19/07/2023 08:14

Yes I do.

I’m getting increasingly pissed off with the useless government who have nationalised the railways by stealth and are refusing to even come to the table.

@LobsterCrab I notice your graph has “train drivers” rather than railways employees, is that because it isn’t so skewed when you look at average pay? Also, why do you think all professions should be in a race to the bottom and we shouldn’t be trying to emulate railway pay rather than denigrate it?

Totaly · 19/07/2023 08:15

Apparently they earn £40k with no qualifications

I really don’t care if they didn’t get a GCSE in English Lit - totally irrelevant to someone’s years of experience and training.

I support them - everything’s increased except people’s pay.

Changeling78 · 19/07/2023 08:19

It’s not all about pay though, it’s about their terms and conditions too, and the closing of ticket offices. I don’t want to travel on a service where the only member of staff is driving the train, and my elderly parents can’t navigate the online ticket website. I’m all for the strikes, too much money going into the pockets of fat cats!

Soapyspuds · 19/07/2023 08:20

Apparently they earn £40k with no qualifications

Do you mean academically recognised qualifications? I presume they are qualified in their companies to drive trains so the lack of any A-levels, degrees or whatever is not important.

I cannot see how paying drivers more money will make the service safer. I would though support any strikes purely on safety reason.

Changeling78 · 19/07/2023 08:21

LobsterCrab · 19/07/2023 08:08

No I don't. Train drivers have not had their pay eroded in the same way as other public sector workers - or even compared to the private sector! See graph below.

Oh goody, a race to the bottom!

LobsterCrab · 19/07/2023 08:22

@AnotherDelphinium it's not that I think it should be a race to the bottom. It's just there's only a certain amount of money available for public sector pay (unless you want to raise taxes sky high) so it seems fair to me that it should focus on those who have had their real pay eroded over the last 10 years rather than those who haven't.

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 19/07/2023 08:25

I don’t drive and still support them.

Strikes are supposed to be disruptive…

Notamum12345577 · 19/07/2023 08:27

fayree · 19/07/2023 07:26

I overheard an argument between a passenger and an obnoxious ‘train manager’ yesterday. The railway worker claimed that everyone supports them, and how someone of his experience deserves higher pay. Apparently they earn £40k with no qualifications.

It got me thinking, do you actually know anyone who does support them? Amongst my friends, I don’t have a single person who I have spoken to who supports them. Most of my friends are fairly liberal and left leaning too, and do support the doctors strike.

I work on the Railway. A Train Manager wouldn’t earn 40k basic, more like low 30s. Yeah a driver will earn about 60k, and yes they might not have A levels or a degree, but if is wrong to say that they may have no qualifications. There is a very rigorous training process to become a driver, and then constant training and assessments throughout their carer. Drivers come out of their rewinding with nationally recognised qualifications now, at a level 3 level (this last part could vary between companies).
Anyway, the strikes aren’t just about money, that is just what the media mention the most as drivers are well paid. It is about safety, job security, change of practices etc. But even if we do just talk money, the strikes are involving cleaners who earn minimum wage or just above to work shifts, platform staff who earn about 21k working all shifts (and often in expensive cities) and others.

Notamum12345577 · 19/07/2023 08:29

Notamum12345577 · 19/07/2023 08:27

I work on the Railway. A Train Manager wouldn’t earn 40k basic, more like low 30s. Yeah a driver will earn about 60k, and yes they might not have A levels or a degree, but if is wrong to say that they may have no qualifications. There is a very rigorous training process to become a driver, and then constant training and assessments throughout their carer. Drivers come out of their rewinding with nationally recognised qualifications now, at a level 3 level (this last part could vary between companies).
Anyway, the strikes aren’t just about money, that is just what the media mention the most as drivers are well paid. It is about safety, job security, change of practices etc. But even if we do just talk money, the strikes are involving cleaners who earn minimum wage or just above to work shifts, platform staff who earn about 21k working all shifts (and often in expensive cities) and others.

Show quote history

Not sure why Training got auto corrected to Rewinding 😁

RudsyFarmer · 19/07/2023 08:29

Public sector workers are paid by our taxes. So I hope all of us are happy to pay the wage increases as we literally are paying for them.