Page 17 | What do people think about rail strikes?

ITUnurse · 2022-08-20T16:21:57+00:00

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

Chesneyhawkes1 · 14/12/2022 19:08

Train drivers aren't on strike. I went to work today - on a train!

However of course I support the RMT. I for one definitely don't want to be hurtling along at 100mph with hundreds of passengers on board on a track that has had its maintenance schedule cut by half - as proposed by the Rail Delivery Group - aka the Tories.

I want staff visible on platforms. I want be track well maintained by workers who have had adequate rest between shifts. Same for the signallers signalling me.

Overall I want a safe railway. Not one run on a shoe string so the fat cats can have bigger payouts.

I'd also like an efficient one, but that always should come second to a safe one for me.

Cherrysoup · 14/12/2022 19:27

I’ll always support striking, it’s the only way workers can make a difference to their conditions. It’s smart timing, guaranteed maximum disruption given the season. If I were seeing family at Christmas, I’d go on the train, it’s 3 hours compared to 5 in the car.

Lasttraintolondon · 14/12/2022 19:45

Every time there is a rail disaster (or banking crisis or etc etc.) it is investigated, changes are made and things get better. After a while, usually a decade or so, the government, usually the Tories, think 'well then, we could make more profit here with a few changes here and there' and round and round we go back to disaster.

I wouldn't have picked Christmas, but I wholeheartedly support the strikers.

Rafferty10 · 14/12/2022 19:56

I absolutely do not support the strikes, it is holding ordinary people hostage,

Tomorrow morning l have to take my ill DD to a specialist in London, not going is not an option this is serious.
Due to the selfishness of the train operators l cannot get a train so am having to leave at 5am on icy roads, in the dark, and drive for up to 4 hours, hoping against hope l can get her there.
I was extremely worried about the outcome of the appointment, and need to be on my game with asking the right questions whilst not worrying D/D unnecesarily...now l am worried sick about getting us there safely, finding my way across London..etc on top of everything else.
Oh and it will probably cost me three time as much in fuel and congestion charges.

After the pandemic and war in Ukraine we are ALL facing a tough time, not all of this is is in the Governments control, there is no endless supply of money.

Yet the XXXX union leader is paid a hefty salary to create this hell.

Alexandra2001 · 14/12/2022 20:21

Rafferty10 · 14/12/2022 19:56

I absolutely do not support the strikes, it is holding ordinary people hostage,

Tomorrow morning l have to take my ill DD to a specialist in London, not going is not an option this is serious.
Due to the selfishness of the train operators l cannot get a train so am having to leave at 5am on icy roads, in the dark, and drive for up to 4 hours, hoping against hope l can get her there.
I was extremely worried about the outcome of the appointment, and need to be on my game with asking the right questions whilst not worrying D/D unnecesarily...now l am worried sick about getting us there safely, finding my way across London..etc on top of everything else.
Oh and it will probably cost me three time as much in fuel and congestion charges.

After the pandemic and war in Ukraine we are ALL facing a tough time, not all of this is is in the Governments control, there is no endless supply of money.

Yet the XXXX union leader is paid a hefty salary to create this hell.

The RMT and employers had a deal.. the Govt scuppered it...

The RCN will suspend strikes if the govt will talk pay.. the Govt will not even do that...

The Tories are holding us all to ransom ... for petty political gain.

Quite why you think nurses should accept a 4% pay rise is beyond me, they have already seen pay fall by 20% perhaps you think clapping for nhs workers is enough?

Unions leaders represent the will and sentiment of their workforce... they cannot call a strike as in the 70s... done by democratic vote.

AnaBannanna · 14/12/2022 20:42

Rafferty10 · 14/12/2022 19:56

I absolutely do not support the strikes, it is holding ordinary people hostage,

Tomorrow morning l have to take my ill DD to a specialist in London, not going is not an option this is serious.
Due to the selfishness of the train operators l cannot get a train so am having to leave at 5am on icy roads, in the dark, and drive for up to 4 hours, hoping against hope l can get her there.
I was extremely worried about the outcome of the appointment, and need to be on my game with asking the right questions whilst not worrying D/D unnecesarily...now l am worried sick about getting us there safely, finding my way across London..etc on top of everything else.
Oh and it will probably cost me three time as much in fuel and congestion charges.

After the pandemic and war in Ukraine we are ALL facing a tough time, not all of this is is in the Governments control, there is no endless supply of money.

Yet the XXXX union leader is paid a hefty salary to create this hell.

Yes how selfish of people to expect to be paid fairly and have decent working terms and conditions.

Acheyknees · 14/12/2022 20:49

I agree they need a pay increase but they need to agree to proper 7 day working patterns (and be recompensed for it). Sunday working can't be manned by workers agreeing to do overtime. My place of work changed to 7 day working over 20 years ago.

Endlesssummer2022 · 14/12/2022 21:07

100% support. even though it’s going to cause me some annoying issues I’d rather that than see workers rights continue to deteriorate.

Chesneyhawkes1 · 14/12/2022 21:32

@Acheyknees my union Aslef wants Sundays as part of the working week.

However many TOCs don't. It's cheaper to pay us overtime as opposed to employing more drivers to have a true 7 day week. Sundays currently aren't pensionable either.

However when employee / employer relations aren't good, people don't want to work overtime. Or in summer etc - they want to have their days off with their families etc, so Sunday jobs are uncovered.