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.

There's barely a Union left, the RMT is one with enough members to make a noise and be noticed. When there are none left you'll notice the difference. And many of you will be whinging, individually and unheeded, about your pay and working conditions. Unions didn't come about by chance. If people are ignorant enough to believe that workers don't need them then that will be their misfortune. Boris and his toadies must be rubbing their hands with glee at successfully provoking yet more division.

The tories are trying really, really hard to make this into Labour's fault. I mean you've only been in power for 12 years guys, ffs.

YANBU, not at all. I am as furious as you are OP. Even worse that the timing has been chosen deliberately to disrupt GCSE and A Level season.

The point of strikes are to cause disruption and show how crippled society is without these workers. You can be against it in general but complaining that the timing is especially inconvenient is rather missing the point.

London is a shit storm today. I'm enjoying working from my garden.

Very little goodwill and support for the RMT among commuters.

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You can't take the 21/22 financial year as representative of future demand. Much of it was in the height of the third wave. In March 2022 on the other hand, entries and exits at Liverpool Lime Street were 17% above March 2019 levels.

Season tickets are heavily subsidized and serving them is very resource inefficient (L&SE operators get a few hours of very intensive use in the peaks, with lots of trains running around empty or sat in sidings off peak). If you want to cut back a few London commuter trains through lack of use, you go ahead. Just don't make cutbacks in the rest of the country where people get left behind by packed trains at any time of day (without there being another one three minutes later).

As for how to fill the funding gap? The government could look at rationalising the fares system. Advance tickets are supposed to exist to fill seats on quiet trains, so stop selling them for busy ones. Then of course the government needs to decide whether it wants a European-standard passenger rail service, with the funding to match, or whether it instead wants to copy the Americans and only run what's profitable.

Just read the phrase 'Rail Union Barons' written by a newspaper run by an actual, multi millionaire baron 🙄 as though unions aren't organised, elected, paid for and instructed by workers but are part of the elite. It's a joke and many people seem to be falling for it.

It is nice to see a union showing it's teeth. People are sick of watching others manipulate and take advantage of workers and get rich off the back of it and then watch this government failing to tax and monitor the real 'barons'. Love how everyone thinks a windfall tax on record profits is a no no but signallers, cleaners and ticket office workers striking is abhorrent. My union (Unison) seem to be very quiet - they might be watching and waiting. If they step up and health workers strike...

The unions live in the dark ages. Just strike and strike and stuff anyone else. My DB used to work for the rail network and he and his colleagues were massively overpaid (their words). When technology started taking over they moaned and groaned. They are selfish beyond belief. Have you seen the sort of salaries they are on? No I don’t mean the cleaners which some people seem to bring up endlessly. No cleaner should be paid £50k plus and honestly wouldn’t expect to be!

Another one who has made this claim. Can you back it up? Where is your evidence that the RMT executives sat down and said "when shall we strike? I know, we'll piss Mumsnet off by doing it during exams"?

The timing is unfortunate, but frankly there is never an ideal time. It certainly isn't "deliberate".

That’s a very Rand-esq statement.

Who has suggested that cleaners should earn "£50k plus"?

Making up stuff like that, you could try for a job as a speechwriter for Shapps. Or failing that a Daily Mail reporter.

So what you're saying is, being part of a powerful union results in good wages. Wow, more people should join unions I guess.

I think if you claim to support workers rights, then you shouldn't only do so when it doesn't cause a difficulty for you personally.

Direct your blame towards the people choosing to underpay and not value their staff, rather than towards the workers using their legal right to stand up for themselves.

Just as a reminder, staff for some of the companies involved (particularly Network Rail, Northern, and LNER) have seen a 15% real terms cut in wages over the last few years. Can you not see why they have had enough?

Tory MPs currently tweeting 'thanks Keir'. This is the level we're at with these people.

I heard Mick Lynch say they were happy to embrace new technology, which reduces the need for manpower, but would not accept any compulsory redundancies. All members had to be offered alternative jobs, he said. He didn't comment on voluntary redundancy. So, no, I don't support the extensive strike. One day yes 3 days no imo.

Classic MN though. Apparently supportive of people striking to improve labour conditions, until it affects their a child, at which point it’s basically targeted sadism.

I will accept the inconvenience and support the strikers. They are standing inbetween fairness for workers and the Brittania Unchained bonfire of workers rights remainers warned of. I want my children to have the same rights I’m entitled to when it’s their turn to enter the workforce.

Many people I know agree with me. This isn’t the 1970s and the Tories won’t get the same support for breaking strikers as they did in the 70s and as for a government of 12 years trying to pin this on the opposition? Is anyone really going to fall for that?

The tories are trying to make hay out of this but it won't work. If your line is ultimately "the country's a mess and there's nothing we can do about it" then voters tend to remember the second part.

PMSL at all the people who voted 12 years of Conservative incompetence with all the damage it did to the economy, education and health, but they're losing their shit over the RMT striking for 3 days.
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What about overall demand?

Do you agree increased wfh has changed the demand in commuting and will continue to?

And sure tackle the lower demand lines if that’s what you’re after but check numbers on lines commuting v not and capacity

Not really. The strikers can make their point without knowingly ruining children's' futures. Next week would have been just as disruptive for workers. Mind you, a lot of the unions were/are pro-Brexit, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

Season tickets are heavily subsidized and serving them is very resource inefficient few people are commuting 5 days a week now so operators aren't getting the money in from season tickets (which may be cheaper than buying individual tickets but gives them the money upfront). Season tickets are not subsidised by the way, they are price controlled. There is a difference.

In March 2022 on the other hand, entries and exits at Liverpool Lime Street were 17% above March 2019 levels there will be other reasons for that. Most people I know are still WFH most of the time and you can tell from the fact that you can always get a space at my local railway station car park now. Pre-covid it was full by 8.30 latest other than on Fridays.

(missed the fact you said Lime Street - I read it as Liverpool Street - Liverpool is an attractive tourist destination and in March people were probably having trips there as going overseas was still a pain)