What happens to a tube driver who is witness to a suicide or a suicide attempt?
They suffer trauma and distress. Its a health related risk.
Between 2015 and 2016, 91 Tube drivers sought counselling for person under the train incidents.
www.cityam.com/260763/exclusive-tfl-staff-suffer-stress-anxiety-and-depression
I make that slightly over 2% of drivers who are exposed to an incident where they were involved in an incident with someone under a train. And thats assuming everyone took up counselling. Thats not insignificant.
As a rule, any job which carries a high risk to your personal health tends to be paid above the level of other jobs.
Certain lines are much higher risk than others; stations near psychiatric hospitals are particularly bad. There are also certain times which are particularly bad. In 2016, there were three deaths on in the first 9 hours of the year, for example.
(I also understand that the last official figures were from around 6 years ago, and there is a connection between austerity and suicide).
The job is also anti-social with its hours. That gets a higher wage too.
And you have to live in London, so the job demands London rates. Its fine to say you get free transport as the perk of the job, but the rest of your family don't.
The figure includes a pension. (Also taking into consideration the high to health with risk of PTSD from a suicide which could limit your capacity to work).
Far from the average tube driver earning £100,000 the figures are as follows:
£100,000 or more - 9 operators
£80,000 to £99,999 - 30 operators
£70,000 to £79,999 - 100 operators
£60,000 to £69,999 - 3145 operators
Under £60,000* - 902 operators
- This may include those owed money, on reduced sick pay or work part time.
So the idea that tube drivers are earning £100,000 applies to 9 individuals.
What do those 9 do? Well I doubt that anyone can train other drivers if they are not a driver with a lot of experience themselves. They are not just drivers. Do we really expect drivers who train others to earn what all the others earn? Really? Or would we would expect them to earn a certain amount more than an ordinary driver?
So we have the majority of drivers earning £60,000 - 69,999 for doing a high risk job, with anti-social hours in London and people are complaining about how much they get paid.
All because of NINE employees who earn more.
Nine employees who must be pretty important to the service to merit their pay checks and earning more than all the other train drivers.
Yes, £100,000 is A LOT of money (particularly to those of us outside London), but I do think the whole story and outrage over it, is somewhat overblown and out of proportion.