What the f*** do the RMT think they are playing at.....

[fuming12]

So, the RMT are striking for a pay increase....during GCSE's. The poor kids who use the train to get to school are going to be left up the creek without a paddle, but no, a £44k average salary is not enough and they have decided to hold the country to ransom for more money.

There are 4 (possibly more) GCSE's being held next week and probably many a-levels too, schools are already warning that if pupils are late the exams will have to start regardless.

They cancelled trains that got kids to school during the pandemic, they are paid above average.

I would actually like to see the RMT fail, and be called out, on this one, AIBU? They are a disgrace.

I am a union supporter generally, but this is greedy in the extreme and smacks of extortion to line their members pockets at the expense of the general public. Higher wages = higher fares.

We have to have a back up plan every day anyway to get our dd to school as the bloody trains are constantly cancelled with no notice and for no stated reason. Of course we could make alternative arrangements permanently and keep the extortionate rail fare in our pockets....

Is there any shortage of people wanting to become train drivers or do other jobs for RMT?

No. There are thousands of people desperate to get in.

They make an ass out of U and mptions?

As has already been explained for the hard of thinking 2015 is 8.15pm not the year. 🙄

a disabled man has died at Gatwick, reportedly due to staff shortages.
Those who see no value in staff or think safety isn't important should read it, especially the but robots are so cool people.

@JustTheOneSwan

As has already been explained for the hard of thinking 2015 is 8.15pm not the year. 🙄

You're embarrassing yourself.

It hasn't "already been explained" at all, because it is indeed from 9 years ago and it refers to the, planned at the time, closure of ticket offices by December 2015.

Hard of thinking indeed...

Same argument applies to lots of other supposedly high paid jobs.

Question in the context of the drivers is how many of those rumoured thousands has the required exam ticks, can pass a medical (I assume there is one, at least for the drivers) pass selection, and can then go on pass the training and continue to pass recurrent checking?

Probably not however the people represented by RMT are primarily the general workforce eg cleaners and ticket office not drivers (who I believe are mainly ASLEF).

How exactly are union leaders to blame? That's not how a strike works. It has to be voted for by union members. I work for a union - not the RMT - it's democratically structured and we serve our members. I can't and wouldn't be able to force them to take industrial action, the very idea is ludicrous.

Union leaders are paid for by members' subs. Meanwhile, we have shareholders profiteering from our train fares while the workers experience pay freezes.

To be clear, I support the unions in this case (at significant cost and inconvenience personally. Couldn’t be worse timing really) but anyone with any kind of pension falls under the heading of ‘shareholder’.

Profit isn’t inherently bad, greed and lack of investment (and I believe people are an investment in a business context) is.

@Florenz for the second time, train drivers are not on strike. We are not in the RMT union!

You seem to be fixated on making this about train drivers 🤦‍♀️

You’re being massively unreasonable OP. Workers should be paid properly and as you’ve acknowledged they do a vital job. If they are paid properly there would be no strike. It’s affecting us too but I support the rail workers. Schools will have to change exam timetables and it’s a big stress on the kids but doesn’t mean the workers are wrong to do it.

Read it again 2015 is 7 years, 9 years would be 2013...as you said.

Stop digging.

The image was from 2013. It refers to planned strikes over the intention to close all tube station ticket offices by the end of 2015.

News story about the intention to strike: RMT strike threat over London Underground 'job cuts' www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25014952

"Have the unions gone straight from negotiation to strike? Where was the overtime ban, the work-to-rule, the demonstrations/marches, the petition showing massive public support?"

There was a vote with two options. Strike, and action short of a strike. Members voted to strike. After years of getting nowhere with negotiations.

Oh and these computer operated trains. They already run, and fail regularly. Who then goes out to inspect? The people that actually know the railway.

I think most people can't believe the audacity of people asking for a pay rise for providing such a shit service.

YABU. Not everyone in the RMT earns 44k. The right to strike is extremely important - perhaps you should redirect your anger towards the senior management team of said companies and our glorious government who will not negotiate. Yours is a very selfish outlook to have.

You are aware that if the changes go ahead more and more stations will become innaccessible for those with disabilities. So I have to assume lots of people don’t actually care if those with disabilities have even fewer stations available to them.

I suggest anyone who thinks they are overpaid or paid too much, go spend a day with a train driver or all the staff that support the running of a railway from the signallers, controllers, station staff and so on.

You'll find their jobs are worth every penny and then some! I know because I work in public transport and having done so I don't begrudge them striking for pay.

And I say as a person who is due to take the Eurostar on Wednesday and it'll affect me to

Its the companies that provide the shitty service, staff just do their job.

I think though they'd have been better just stopping some of the staff, ticket office/barrier/cleaners. Keep the trains running, don't collect fares.

Around here lots of the stations are unmanned and the ticket machines often broken. People just travel and if caught just say the machine wasn't working.

YABVU Full support for the RMT from me !!!! I very much doubt you support trade unions , OP!

In my area the buses have been on strike now for 2 weeks.

Talks have ended badly this week and there will be no buses for at least another week.

This is impacting people massively. Especially the older generation who rely on buses. This is an essential service for them.

They cannot get to the shops or hospitals and being on low incomes they cannot afford taxis.

People are feeling totally isolated and are relying on friends and family to help them get essential shopping.

I understand why people are striking but it is impacting vulnerable people.

Loads of folk WANT to be a train driver (not that it’s drivers who are striking anyway).

Howeber it’s incredibly difficult, and rightly so, to pass even the first exam which tests things like hand eye coordination, speed, how you operate under pressure…never mind the interview if you get to it, the other exams, the training and the safety critical final exams…

You don’t just turn up and get handed the keys.

Oh good. Get rid of this uppity lot striking then and we should have an up and running rail network in what, six months for recruitment and training? Excellent!

Tell you what though, the thought of inexperienced signallers hitting the ground running makes me a bit nervy personally.

To be honest even if it was just about the money I would support the strike. I support workers rights to withdraw Labour if they feel their terms and conditions are unfair.

I hope they do strike, even though it will seriously inconvenience me, employers have had too much power for too long it's time to show the government, bad employers that we just won't stand for being treated badly anymore.

I hope the NHS, emergency workers, civil service, teachers all follow suit and I will be standing on the picket line supporting them.