What do people think about rail strikes?

[ITUnurse]

I cannot find any threads on the rail strikes / opinion of them.

I personally do support the strikes. We in the NHS will face a similar struggle shortly. I support the rights of workers to strike. Conditions at the moment are dire.

However, if England is so right wing and strikes aren't supported and the Tories continue to be voted in. I've not seen much public support online except from a few and I'm at risk of being in an echo chamber.

Ultimately if England is so under the thumb of the tories, I'm not sure what the long term solution is. The rest of the UK doesn't return the Tories in such numbers.

If you don't support strike action, what do you think the rail workers, NHS workers etc should do? We've already got people leaving enmasse. It's difficult to comment on the conditions of a job you don't work in and nurses regularly get gaslighted on here I am genuinely concerned as to what is going to happen to the public sector of the UK with this right wing stranglehold.

Thanks

The Post Office guys are being a bit short sighted.

Email has already replaced a lot of their business-even digital Christmas cards are a thing.

Packages are delivered by a host of competitors. I try to avoid firms who say my package will be delivered by Royal Mail already.

I think it will be another nail in their coffin, as very few people have to use the post office for all their communication needs. While they're striking, people will use alternatives and maybe stick with them.

Foolish.

Again for the people at the back, it's not a race to the bottom.

This is just unnecessarily rude.
Being inconvenienced over a weekend is not the same as losing money getting to work. And I didn't say I don't support them (although I'm not actually sure whether I do or not to be fair) just that I don't agree with the logic that railworkers getting a raise would make any difference to the rest of us. I dont actually resent them a raise. Like I said it makes no real difference to me either way. I do resent the idea that I should be quite happy to lose money myself when I get paid less, just because "solidarity"

I 100% support strike action for any group of workers.

I work for a union and to actually get to the point of workers striking, means they are an extremely unhappy workforce.

The tory government have made it as difficult as possible to actually hold a strike, that to get there, really says something about the members working conditions.

The leaders of the union do not decide to take industrial action. They are mandated by the members, who the union belongs to.

What would you think is a fair award?

@Blossomtoes that's not really how it works is it? 8% is a lot more than most in the private sector will get. It's not about "race to the bottom" it's about affordability, especially when rail revenues are down so much.

that's not really how it works is it? 8% is a lot more than most in the private sector will get

How is this relevant? It's not just about the pay. It's also about terms and conditions.

One company only gets 2%, so nobody else should get higher than that?

'Not a race to the bottom' is a typical MN phrase

Companies aren't obliged to provide inflation beating pay rises.

I don't support the strikes, but if they want to lose a few days of pay that's their right

Support the right of all workers to strike. I live in a country where strikes are fairly commonplace, sometimes it can affect us quite annoyingly but that doesn't stop me supporting them. Nurses are going on strike again soon, they have my full support. There was a large widespread strike a few years ago that stopped the government from making decisions that would have harmed all workers - strikes are important.

This

It’s an enormous pain in the ass for us but I fully support them and all public sector worker (although I’m not sure they actually are public sector but similar). All we ever get is no or below inflation pay rises. I work in education and I will strike if it comes to it.

Replied to a post on my FB timeline earlier today where they were seething about Greedy train drivers. I responded with the following message...

'The RMT represents train staff working for Network Rail - not just the train drivers, they're mainly represented by separate unions.

Network Rail have offered 2% rise with a further 1% tied to job cuts.

Just bear in mind how the P&O workers that were sacked / made redundant earlier this year and the governments reaction to that - they're now going to remove some of the protections set out in law for striking workers – starting with the acceleration of plans to scrap a legal ban on using agency workers to limit the impact of future industrial action.
All our workers rights that our forefathers sweated and died for are slowly being eroded away by the gready and corrupt capitalists that call themselves our MP's
😡
I hate the disruption caused by strikers as much as the next person but where would we be today without our historical working class hero's and heroines'.

His response was just to basically repeat what he'd already posted. 🙄

Problem is, the government have gaslighted the majority of the population into believing their version of events - it gets shared on social media and before you know where you are the ignorant are doing the governments bidding.

I'm furious on behalf of the rail-workers and can see a perfect storm of discontent coming - I kid you not, there's going to be a working class revolt unseen since the likes of the miners strikes.

Yes, it is how it works. 8% over two years with inflation roaring away is actually a pay cut.

@Blossomtoes What do you think would be a fair pay rise?

Something close to inflation, I guess. And for one year only. The economy’s too unpredictable at the moment for deals spread over more than a year.

Fully agree. And the bin men - nurses and bin men deserve higher salaries

It’s apt and succinct.

Ii’s not a race to the bottom. There’s also the saying “the oppressed kick downwards”. Seen on this thread too where the poor kick the poorer than them.

If wages follow inflation it will just lead to more inflation.We will just have to accept a lower standard of living.It is obvious that the majority of posters here do not understand economics.
If you want to change things stop voting for any of the politicians.

@Blossomtoes they're not obliged to give an inflation busting pay rise every year.

Yes goshy I work.

I've changed jobs a few times been employed and self employed.

Commons sense says if we all strike due to T & Cs and money then we'd be back to square one. Prices rise along with salaries. We all end up in the same situation with the exception of smaller business that end up going down the pan due to lack of consumerism on the back of strikes. Those who generally work in shops are lower paid and would most certainly be grateful for a job with the salary a rail worker would have

I think unions have been good in giving workers better rights & T&Cs so your common sense must be different to mine 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes he earns a decent wage. But less than ticket inspectors, conductors and ticket office rail workers. And works a hell of a lot harder with many more qualifications.

Well he can always get a new job...

It is obvious that the majority of posters here do not understand economics

It’s obvious some people have never lived through times of high inflation.

Totally behind them. The Tories are clearly choosing to ignore it all though in the hope that it all goes away.