Do you support the train strike?

[fayree]

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.

Train fares are already ridiculous so after all this they will put the fares up even more. Our local bus service has been striking this year they've just put up bus fares to warrant their rise in wages etc and it was a shocking amount. Nearly £20 extra on a monthly ticket and £6 extra on a weekly ticket .

The strikes just need to stop now.

Nope

I'm fed up with it. 4 times this year Iv tried to arrange to go to Manchester and it's been fucked up by the strikes every time meaning cancelling plans and incurring fees. Nightmare.

We’re not impacted but I feel for those who are

Why do people STILL think this is a strike simply about drivers wanting more pay

So you’re saying that public sector workers don’t deserve a pay rise? (Which is actually a pay cut in real terms since austerity started.)

You’re right, they do need to stop. But unless the government is willing to get round the table with the unions they won’t.

Yes I do support them.

Yes I do.

Yes, I support them, and in talking to friends have yet to find anyone who doesn't.

I’m fucked next week as have to get into central London for a hosp appointment, I’m actually toying with driving but time & parking will be a huge issue.

Do I support the strikes? Hell yes!

Why should their pay T&Cs be eroded esp when profits are unaffected?

Many train services are shite without strikes anyway due to poor service to save ££ all while fares increase (I’d rather an increase due to salary/services rather than profit generation).

No I don’t.

Rail employees in the main aren’t public sector. Only if the TOC is brought under government control eg emergency measures are they considered public sector.

The majority of TOCs are run under franchise by private companies, for profit. This is what privatisation gets you.

I used to until I was pregnant. During the strikes around Christmas I was having many pregnancy complications and I had to get to hospital 3-4 times a week for consultant appointments, scans and monitoring. I don’t drive as I live in London and have always been blown away with how good the public transport is here (I come from the middle of nowhere). Anyway, during the strikes, heavily pregnant my journey turned from a 20 min train to hour and a half bus rides with lots of walking in between or had to spend a fortune on taxis which in the col crisis was really tough. It made me realise how many people who cannot drive (often for reasons outside their control, or because it is usually not necessary) are being affected and also disabled, elderly etc who need to get to hospital and appointments etc may be being affected.

No, for reasons LobsterCrab pointed out re pay. Also, I think it's unreasonable to expect extra pay for weekend working in a sector that's obviously 24/7/365 (ish!)

I love you inferring that’s what I’m saying 🤣

I’m pointing out that tax payers literally pay public sector workers. I think for many people it feels removed from them, as though it’s nothing to do with them.

I can clearly remember the 2008 recession where thousands of private sector workers were laid off. We had some jumping from tall buildings in London and the public sector workers were sitting pretty. Secure jobs and decent pay and conditions. In fact it was the job security that caused a lot of people to retrain as teachers from memory. I can remember the threads on here discussing it

Now we have the pendulum swing so that public sector workers feel undervalued and left behind the private sector. Hence the push for pay increases. We are edging into recession where we will get a swathe of job losses and suddenly public sector jobs will be the preference again.

Swings and roundabouts constantly.

Usually I support strikes - it's everyone's right to withdraw their labour, but I have an uncontrollable dislike of arch Brexiteer Mick Lynch and his Brexity RMT

I support them.

I live in the east midlands and EMR are closing multiple ticket offices soon. I bet the price of tickets won't go down though.

Some railways were put back under government to ensure they could run during the pandemic. This is one of the main reasons the negotiations keep breaking down, the government are instructing the rail companies not to negotiate.
Years have gone by without this many rails strikes, the moment the government get involved it all goes pear shaped. The prices of rail fares wont stop increasing mind, they’ll go up exactly the same amount whether there’s a pay increase or not. The public aren’t paying the wages, they are paying to line the pockets of the already overpaid higher levels.

Public sector workers are leaving in droves for better pay T&Cs.

While tax payers may pay their salaries, it is in fact to pay for a service (NHS, education, etc).
We aren’t getting a good service in part/main due to staff exodus.

I don’t think I’ve ever known rail services to freeze/reduce fares (TFL did), regardless of how much/little profit and costs were, so I’ve no idea why it’s bought up now.

Also, unions, companies and ministers have said it would have been cheaper to compromise/pay.

Its all just a game to the Tories.

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/18/rail-strikes-cost-uk-1bn-and-settling-would-have-been-cheaper-minister-admits

No, but as a commuter, it's difficult to separate the terrible service from those who work that service.

Trains are just so unreliable. Everyday I suffer a delay or cancellation for some reason or another. And they don't give a shit, happily stand on the platform having a chat with each other while all around them, people are struggling to get to places they need to get to, they don't try to help or appease. Whilst I sort of know there is nothing they can do, a bit of empathy wouldn't go amiss.

I watched a woman howling on a platform because she had to get home to her kids but couldn't get on a train and not a single member of train or station staff showed her any compassion.

So I have no compassion for them, and think there is a massive lack of accountability from them all, from the top down. There are consequences for every traveller, and those who are there for safety etc seem to have forgotten that.

I do support them. And anyone's right to strike.

Nobody does do lightly or as a first resort because they lose pay. It's always as a last resort and at the "end of tether" stage.

The rail strikes are not just about pay. They are about erosion of conditions, safety, service cuts etc.

I’m really concerned about the ticket office closures.

When I was sexually harassed in the early 2000s late at night it was ticket office staff who calmed me down, called a cab etc.

This office was shut years back.

No, not at all. It's fucking me over tomorrow.

We're all told to use public transport. Then the fucking trains strike. This country is a joke. Nothing works.

And worse, the population in general have been brainwashed into thinking that the crap standards are great. It's like 1984. The 2 week cancer wait - many actually believe 2 weeks is a short time to wait for this - in other countries, they see you the next day for cancer. 2 weeks is crap. It isn't a gold standard.

@ejbaxa

No, not at all. It's fucking me over tomorrow

Is this as far as your thought process goes? It's affects you badly so you are against it?