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.

I support that public transport should be subsidised. It's an essential service. I don't support that the service should be withdrawn leaving people tired and stressed with no idea of how they're going to get home from work. That's how I'm feeling and I'm sure there are thousands others too.

People can have a less positive view of unions, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are ignorant.

I think unions on the whole are good. They can protect the rights of workers against exploitation. They can campaign for change and better benefits

But I also know that there are opposing views. Unions didn't always support women's equality in the workplace. Unions in Germany seem to work better at collaborating with management to find solutions (or maybe management collaborates better with Unions)

Unions do exist for the benefit of their members. In lockdown, their priority was teachers, (and it did feel that children could have perhaps gone back to school earlier). Unions previously operating as 'closed shops' and only offering employment to particular people has also not helped their image.

Politics on the right can feel too uncaring
Politics on the left can feel too tribal and lacking in compromise (particularly if that involves talking with people you don;t like especially 'tory scum'.....)

The support is most in youngest age groups age 18 - 24 which makes sense but then support is 49% so half

That reduces the older you go and overall more against with 35% supporting

Yes there is already subsidy

So the alternative is higher rail prices but let’s face it they are extortionate already

Yes, I should have said 'under 50' rather than 'working population' (25-49's are also in favour of the strike overall).

@RJnomore1 bloody well said!

I think it must be much easier to support the strike if you're working from home or don't need to use trains (or tubes if in London) to get to and from work.

Support from that age group is under half but so is opposition, the don’t knows take a chunk

I guess older age groups will have more direct memory of the 70s strikes and for youngest lower financial commitments are likely

Maybe it will change again as strikes cause issues, but we’ll see

"Don't knows" are usually discarded unless you're assessing public awareness. In polling terms it'd be fair to say 25-49's support the strike as the don't knows don't indicate anything one way or another.

It's not a big deal either way, but it might serve as a corrective to some on here who assume their outrage is universal.

I don’t think anyone on mn can assume that given the posts

At the same time I wouldn’t look at that chart and feel support was huge as it’s under half (just for youngest at 49%) in all age groups

So write to your train provider and/or MP and tell them to pay the workers decently.

What's wrong with this picture is the dividends paid out and huge salaries for senior people running a State subsidised monopoly.

But I also know that there are opposing views. Unions didn't always support women's equality in the workplace. Unions in Germany seem to work better at collaborating with management to find solutions (or maybe management collaborates better with Unions)

I thought this was because unions have a place on the Board? That absolutely does not happen in the UK.

All I'm seeing the RMT doing is making the case for automation frankly

then you’re incredibly naive if you think that ticket prices will go down.

they will not, even if the railway was hugely modernised.

Look at other sectors which have “modernised “. Have prices gone down?

NOPE

I think you're starting to split hairs here. I didn't say support was huge, just a majority in under 50s. And in polling parlance, which would ignore neutral Don't Knows in this instance, it is.

I'm not pretending this one poll is an irrefutable mic-drop, but in matters of public policy it's always useful to get data driven snapshots of public opinion.

I’m not sure about support but it’s definitely easier

Many are now more used to switching to wfh and whilst they may still not support it takes some of the brunt out

Not for everyone though as you say

I would also be wary of ipsos polls as it is not a neutral body and can ask leading questions!

I totally agree with the right to withdraw your labour, but in reality most people can't strike or realise it really isn't in their interest to strike.

The trains, like the mines, car industry and ship building have a history of strong organised trade unions, that brought high wages and improved conditions in the short term but made them unviable in the long term.

Sadly the RMT don't realise just how much Covid has changed the world of work. Demand is still down by >20% and will probably get worse. Making any demands will only accelerate the transition away from trains, and increase the incentive to go driverless.

Most people realise when their business see a sustained 20% drop, it's probably not the best time to ask for a raise.

Still not convinced, check if the DLR is running today?

Changes in working patterns have hit operators badly in the South East, yes. Long distance and regional operators on the other hand have big stakes in the leisure and business travel markets as well as in office drones so demand picked up quicker. Why should staff in the North suffer because demand is low in the South?

Yes, I just did upthread. Amazon warehouse workers, over worked and underpaid. A set of people who should be striking for better working conditions.

Season tickets certainly are subsidized, just like many fares are in practice.

The railways been modernising for years. This has largely gone unopposed. What is being opposed is the way that Network Rail want to cut maintenance. That is how Hatfield, Potters Bar and Grayrigg happened.

You can reduce staff numbers without using compulsory redundancies. There's an entire generation coming up for retirement for a start.

@Thenamewillchangethefacewillnot

At least they would get a day off from picking tiny violins and clown costumes off the shelves. Whatever would some folk do….?

Just a slight exaggeration there - batteries, lightbulbs, books, textbooks for school, ironing boards, pillows, normal regular stuff.....but don't let that destroy your violin/clown fetish!

Changes in working patterns have hit operators badly in the South East, yes. Long distance and regional operators on the other hand have big stakes in the leisure and business travel markets as well as in office drones so demand picked up quicker. Why should staff in the North suffer because demand is low in the South?

I’m glad to hear demand has picked up more in North that’s great.

I suppose you’d have to look at income split and see how that lower SE demand affects income overall. Pre pandemic almost 2/3 of journeys start or finish in London, over half in that region, and 54% rail users were commuting - the pandemic hitting that income will be felt more than if demand elsewhere dropped

I don’t know if you can just make changes to SE services but given the cost of rail and some of the issues people seem to mention then they might not be receptive to that