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.

You do realise this isn't just "cross country" trains? We are in suburban London - once the strike starts there are NO local trains at all Tues-Saturday and the roads will be gridlocked and buses will be jam packed.

yes mate, I do realise where the strike is affecting. It’s blown my plans to attend a funeral on the other side of the country out of the water but it is what it is.

You’re in London, you have loads of options - start out earlier by car/bus as you know the roads will be rammed, get on a bike, scoot, or even….walk! How far away are you sending your kids to school that none of these are options for something as important as GCSE exams?

[Hmm]

I'll re-iterate - this isn't about my child. Tens of thousands of kids get the train each day especially in the suburbs. The RMT have specifically chosen to disrupt exams - that I think is despicable.

The point of this thread is that there are many hundreds of kids who don't have parents who can/will take them to school. This is more disruption on top of an already disrupted education.

I could play the "I'm alright Jack" card - yes I have a car, yes I can get my kids to school, yes this isn't a problem for my kids, as they have an adult who is capable and willing to sort it out. But it will be a problem for many and probably those is far less fortunate circumstances than mine.

And the government does fuck all about it and glories in the narrative that the unions are destroying our country when the opposite is the case. Go on Tories sort the fucking mess out it's what a section of the populace voted you into power to do.

Absolutely agree

Never forget this Brexit government has imposed much greater damage on the fabric and good governance of this county than any union ever could and all on Johnson's toss of a coin should I / shouldn't I. Divide, deflect and rule - don't be fooled.

And how many children are you estimating live an un-walkable distance from their school @fuming12?

I don’t dispute that the strikes will cause real hardship for some people particularly those with long commutes covering tens of miles, I object to your overwrought handwringing over children attending schools to provoke emotional responses to strikes when it’s by and large a non-issue.

The RMT have specifically chosen to disrupt exams

Evidence please to back up your claim that these strikes were deliberately timed to coincide with exams. They are simply being held as soon as legally possible after the ballot

They announced the strikes well in advance. Plenty of time to make arrangements.

and no it’s not deliberately timed to mess with exams.

the Tories have not offered a sensible pay deal.

The RMT are standing up for their decent wage, while in most other public sector jobs, like teaching, nursing and healthcare, people have been pushed into accepting lower wages generally (as far back as Gordon Brown’s Working Families Tax Credit scheme in 1998, which gave employers a really great excuse for not paying enough).
If you look at the average pay now, compared with 35 years ago, it’s gone down - that’s what we should be getting mad about, not with the RMT

Their unions can be brave because let's be honest, it's unlikely many people are going to die from not being able to get a train. Yes its disruptive, for some it will affect them big time, same with teaching really- yes disruptive but not the end of the world. In healthcare patients will die, well they are anyway I suppose as people are leaving due to the crap conditions, but it is a harder decision to make. I know if I strike there aren't enough agency or otherwise qualified medically trained staff to give the care needed. Yes you can cancel routine ops, delay treatment for some etc as we saw during covid hah- but many people will hugely suffer. Don't want that on my conscience but also we should have better conditions, so what to do, what to do. The doctors strike will go ahead and unless resolved quickly or stopped because their terms are agreed be actually pretty catastrophic.

Lots in this area - judging by the numbers taking the train (both ways) in the morning....

2015?

Most colleges, and I imagine schools, will (should) have procedures in place for students who can't get to an exam due to issues like this.
My old setting would provide a taxi in the worst case, ideally with students sharing if many living near each other/on the route were affected.

The strikes aren't intended to stop students sitting their exams... Good on them for refusing to put up with rubbish pay and accepting this crappy state of affairs where wages are not keeping up with rising costs.

Don’t be a scab

I agree OP.

My pre booked for hotel room was at £179 was fecking expensive - just checked in and the price is now £324.

I object to everyone who is going on strike tomorrow for costing me a fortune for wanting to do my job, earn monies and care for patients. You do not have the right to cost me monies and cause people to receive sub standard care.

It is your choice to strike and cause hardship to millions.

That I am supposed to smile at the station staff on Wednesday and be polite when I am out of pocket, patience and have no ability to have a rant at them is simply not fair.

I used to be against strikes but now I say bring it on. Bring the whole country to its knees until our stupid government take notice.

I support the strike, though it's presenting some massive challenges for many of us this week.

Almost 21.30 so it doesn't look like it's getting called off at the 11th hour.

The RMT have specifically chosen to disrupt exams - that I think is despicable.

Oh do get over yourself OP. This is about something much more important, like people having food on the table and having decent working conditions in which to provide the rest of us with an essential public service safely.

And obviously the striking workers aren’t the ones setting the rail fares- yet again this is about privatisation and a Tory government who don’t give the tiniest little shit about ordinary people’s lives.

I support them. To those worried about kids taking exams, how far away can their schools be? Most kids go to school within the same county - drive them, walk them, cycle, pay for a cab. There are alternatives.

This is just the beginning, wages have stagnated whilst the cost of everything goes up. The reason why we’re feeling it more than many other countries is because the value of the pound is falling through the floor. But the government and mainstream media won’t say why…instead they engage in chaos and distractions like the Rwanda flights.

DH earns nowhere near £44k. Where are you getting these figures from?😂

I think you will find the issues run much deeper than exams that are going on in parts of the UK....

Fully support industrial action by the RMT. Hopefully others follow suit.

🙌

Exactly. No one likes a scab.