To not understand what the RMT are in a snit about?

[Sistanotcista]

Going to try and post a link to this article, but it might not work. This is the important extract: “If you earned, on average, £44,000 a year, wouldn’t you put up and shut up just now and thank your lucky stars that you’re fortunate enough to have a job which pays at least ten grand more than the UK’s median annual income of £31,772 (to the Office of National Statistics).”

Why on earth are they striking for better pay? I get that we would all like more (of course!) but their salaries seem pretty fair. What have I missed?

Years!

Yes let’s cut safety critical workforce to skeleton levels and then pay a them a minimum wage.

Never fails to amaze, all the bellyaching on this site about the people in jobs that are actually important daring to ask for a fair wage.

Not so much noise being made about shareholders skimming off all the profits, and the tiny group of individuals who hoard all the money in this country.

I’m pretty sure it has yes but I don’t have the data. But regardless, why not strike? If you’re facing redundancy you have noticing to lose and it’s better than taking it lying down.

Totally agree, I met Bob about 18 yrs ago at a union meeting, a very passionate man who actually cared about the rail workers and was vilified by the press.
RIP Bob

£44k
That is top of band 7 in the NHS, so maybe a matron in charge of a ward, an advanced specialist physio, or the manager of a whole team of paramedics.
All of which require a degree, probably a masters degree and many years of experience.
I agree it's not race to the bottom, but many other sectors also require pay rises, no wonder they can't retain staff.

There’s is a mass exodus of people leaving the railway due to attacks on jobs/threat on pensions.

if you used trains during the IRA bombings/ 7/7 bombings, failed attempts two weeks after 7/7, London Bridge attacks, Parsons Green station bomb, Jubilee line bomb in a drivers cab then you’ll want to see experienced staff on your trains and stations.

All this happening with next to no station staff… no thanks

redundancies happen as the role is no longer needed. If the role is no longer needed temporary staff ought not
be hired to replace those made redundant. If the role is no longer needed it’s nuts to keep paying someone to do it.

a lot of private sector workers get no pay rise. This doesn’t mean their pay rise is not keeping up with inflation. It means no pay rise at all. It is hard to rustle up any sympathy for those that ‘only’ get an x percentage pay rise when you get a 0% pay rise.

train drivers ought not get more money than nurses. It is just not a skilled role in the same way, nowhere near.

Nurses wages need to be of a similar level to train drivers, yes. Unfortunately roles that were traditionally ‘women’s roles’ still earn far less than deserved.

nobody compares nurses to airline pilots, and pilots have a two-crew staff unlike train drivers.

also, this strike isn’t about drivers wages. The other staff are on a lot less.

“If you fight you won’t always win. But if you don’t fight you will always lose.”

Bob Crow. 👊

You have no idea what you're talking about in relation to your last sentence.

Have you ever sat in a drivers carriage? Have you ever watched a driver try to avoid a head on collision with another train. Have you ever watched a driver make a snap decision that the signals are faulty and that to proceed might result in mass casulties? The scottish train incident where there was a landslide? The driver actually avoided even more destruction by his actions.

Have you ever tried to brake fast enough to not kill the person stood on the track but also in that instant work out how you can avoid people being seriously injured on the train?

You have NO idea what it takes to be a train driver.

I actually do, I was training to be one before ill health took me out of the game. I can tell you now, there is a fuck ton of skill and metaphorical balls needed to be a train driver. You can go for months and it's fine, and then bam something happens.

I was on the LNER train at Doncaster when the car smashed right through the barriers into the train. It's not always about driving a train, its about safety management, operational incidents, do I know what to do in this minute window I have to avoid catastrophy.

Every time someone says something about train drivers not being that skilled I literally want to scream. Maybe they aren't surgeons, but they hold life in their hands. Actions they take can result in death or life.

redundancies happen as the role is no longer needed

that’s definitely not true. Companies cut needed jobs to save money all the time. Just look at the current airline chaos!

@SorrySadDog well said.

Drivers don't just sit in a cab, sit back and hope for the best!

My DHs train company had over 2000 applications for 5 driver roles last year. Only 10 were shortlisted after going through months of tests and assessments. It's really not a piss easy job despite what the Daily Mail tells you.

The ignorance shown about how the railway operates on this thread and the other one running is staggering.

especially not when the railways are making large profits

except that they have been making huge losses and even before covid the arrangements were not profitable - SWR had already been talking about handing its franchise back.

My DHs train company had over 2000 applications for 5 driver roles last year

Only five vacancies? Well that suggests a number of things, including that pay and conditions are good for drivers.

And/or it could indicate that most of the driver roles go to people already working in the company who then undergo the necessary training.

But it's not the drivers who are going on strike anyway, most of them are members of ASLEF and not RMT.

All three unions will be going on strike. Tssa, aslef, rmt.
They all tend to flow the big boys

Given the endless bleating that goes on about the ‘massive disruption’ caused by them not going to work, i.e. how essential and important the service they provide is, I’d say they’re pretty well placed to make such demands!

A well off confirmed Tory voter
You can't really expect anything else.

I would support a strike but if they really do get 2000 applications for five vacancies then I think they are probably fighting a losing battle.

Including fucking up exams for teenagers who've already been screwed over in this pandemic?

I haven't got my mind made up and I do support you, when I was in the local station last week I spoke to the woman selling tickets and told her I wished you all well and hope you get a payrise.

I've travelled up and down the country recently and would say that there are far fewer passengers than pre covid - so jobs will go unless magically everyone stops working from home - tubes and buses seem quieter too.
I don't think striking will change that.

Indeed. Railways are far, far quieter than they were in 2019.

The strikers will likely be the architects of their own downfall when swingeing cuts come in response.

"Including fucking up exams for teenagers who've already been screwed over in this pandemic?"

Workers are right to protect their pay, pensions and working conditions. The people who would be fucking up exams for teenagers are those responsible for eroding pay, pensions and working conditions to the point that employees feel strike action is the only option left.

Honestly first hand side experience as a close family member works for the railway and they will be going on strike and he’s a signaller.. his money already bloody good. His standard salary just over 50K and the amount of overtime he does sets him a lot higher

the railway wastes money though unnecessarily.. They pay double for overtime and they still pay even if that particular person doesn’t end up working that shift the railway since the 90’s. The 12 hour shifts they are paid for the full 12 hours but they only work 8 so they have 4 1 hour breaks in between