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.

My son is having to lose 2 days of his holiday because of RMT action, Eurostar has been cancelled on Thursday. He has had to fork out for new tickets & will have to wait for a refund when he gets home. It's a good job he has enough money & the knowledge to be able to work out how to get from Brussels to Paris as he couldn't get a seat in the Brussels Eurostar.

People moaning about overpaid train drivers…….it’s not even the train drivers union. That’s Aslef. Guess there may be some train drivers in it but the majority are other workers who aren’t going to be on train driver wages.

Average wages are shit. If you want more for your, presumably gcse sitting about to enter into the world of work, kids: SUPPORT THE STRIKE.

‘Of course it would be, do you think asking nicely has worked well? Where are people going to appear from to look after these people whilst they invariably strike?’

From agencies. That’s where scab labour usually comes from.

But like I said, action would not have to mean strike action. Refuse to understand by all means.

The RMT pay rise will raise the average wage but it won't affect the people who earn lower than what RMT staff earn. They'll just be the ones paying for it all.

Let them strike, it just brings driverless trains and buses one step closer. Why should people have to put up with this bullshit when the jobs they do are largely obsolete? They're modern day luddites, smashing up machines in factories that increased productivity a hundredfold.

Exactly. And the government is planning to facilitate agency /scab labour to break strikes.

I have a friend who works maintaining the rail infrastructure, he works day & night out in all weathers, works bank Holidays & weekends including Christmas day & is away from home 12 days out of 14 working. He has been injured at work too many times to count. He deserves every penny of his salary. Bear in mind that the wages quoted include shift work, unsociable hours, travel & accommodation.

Brexit (and the early retirement of boomers) has created a massive labour shortage. Johnson was celebrating the fact that truck drivers could now get 70k a year just a few months ago before inflation let rip. It's a free market for labour now and why shouldn't organised labour try to maximise their benefits. Capitalism innit. Meanwhile, we are considering burning a billion quids worth of useless PPE to produce energy and staffed 32billion of track and tace whilst the Germans spend less than a billion. Waste your energy on this useless virtually criminal government that are worse than useless rather than labour who provide a vital service.

Ah yes there aren't enough agency staff to cover critical gaps in staffing but they'll magic them out of thin air. Seen as you're effectively blaming them for low wages, what action aside from striking would you propose? Why are the RMT striking if there's another solution that works?

I can’t wait until the teachers strike - it will be fine though coz there will be notice

I agree with you OP. I think it's outrageous and a disgrace.

I bet those who are for the strike don't live in London and are unaffected.

It is causing absolute chaos and holding the city to ransom.
The tactics used are disgraceful and there are always strikes and concessions every couple of years.

They have better t&C's than many other public sector workers and somehow it is never enough.

I bet those who are for the strike don't live in London and are unaffected.

Do you think trains only exist in London?

Ever noticed how the government and their enforcers in the Daily Mail always need an enemy in the workforce? At least the civil service will be out the firing line for a week.

The Mail are particularly put out because will have to.wfh next week and they've led get back to the office.

@Bunnycat101 Don't expect anything on MN to be representative of real life or you'll be sadly disappointed

Back to the 80s with shit language like 'scabs'.

Be careful as those 'scabs' may take over. There are certainly calls for it during the major bin strike where I have family effected. Huge amount of the city believe they are doing a better job than those striking ever did.

What else would you call people who cross picket lines and undermine strike action?

I’m in Scotland. I’m supposed to be speaking at a conference on the Friday. Don’t know if I can get there in time. Had to cancel a day trip to edinburgh zoo on the Saturday. Travelling to Glasgow on an overnight in the Sunday and no idea if I’ll need to take the car now.

So yes it’s impacting me. It’s only signalling staff striking in Scotland but there’s no trains at all running except roughly between Glasgow and Edinburgh and it may take up to the afternoon the following day to get the systems back on.

im still behind them.

People that want to their jobs and don't agree with the strike.

I didn't realise we are in a dictatorship where everyone has to feel the same.

And in a catastrophic signal failure, as your train is hurtling towards another because of a computer glitch, do you want an actual trained human onboard who knows how the fucking brakes work?
Airliners largely fly themselves don't they? And yet they all still have at least two pilots on board. Why do you think that is?

‘Why are the RMT striking if there's another solution that works?’

Because it’s the better option, largely a very effective tool. And because RMT members don’t care for elderly or vulnerable people.

You know what, I seem to remember not long ago we were told to expect good rising wages post brexit were we not? Boris was promising them!

Exactly. Many of the staff do not earn 44k. This hellish govt spin the public a yarn and they believe it.
Look at the real reasons for this strike.

it is disruptive but theyve tried and got nowhere-its notthe drivers either so cant comment on wage

my dh work have said come in or you wont get paid which isnt helpful if you cant actually get there-but thats not the unions fault

How about gat cat union leaders? They are all on a pretty penny. Or they ok because you agree with them.

*fat