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

Actually when someone strikes their employer can't bring in agency workers, let alone hire someone else instead, so they're worse off during a strike than if the employee quits.

But even if that wasn't the case, they're only striking because they know their jobs are secure and they have nothing to lose by being grabby and demanding more. If someone was to put their money where their mouth is and actually quit, they might find that they aren't as hot as they thought, and they're lucky to get what they've been getting till now.

BTW I say this as someone who's done exactly that. I wasn't happy with my employment terms, so I handed in my notice.

@Sobaridiot so you're basically saying your income shouldn't be impacted but it's fine for others to have less pay & lose jobs?

Do you pr your husband contribute to their bills? To their pensions? Do you support their families and children?

Then why the hell should they accept shit for you?
If being self employed and not having employment rights is not working for your husband then he should seek employment. Otherwise welcome ot the world of being Self employed

If everyone really did that the employers would be forced to raise the wages. But not everyone would do that, because many people know they couldn't get another job for better pay.

If being self employed and not having employment rights is not working for your husband then he should seek employment.

exactly it's the other side of the coin but it's fine for others just not for me.

Yes,and because of "privatisation",the profits are going abroad and we are subsidising them !!!
If anyone on here does not like UK companies making profits,then I suggest you never save for a pension because it is profits that fund pensions.

If you bothered reading the post I quoted instead of using snippets for your rhetoric, it might make more sense.

Yes, it is difficult to support something that effects you negatively. And no I don't support the ticket office/inspectors because I don't believe their jobs need saving.

I recognise it's the companies at fault, no the individual workers but I honestly think it would be best for the rail companies to collapse and rail to be renaionalized.

You could've said that ithout trying to garner sympathy for your husband and his wages.
We didn't use snippets I disagreed with you.
I'm sure your husband is equally as useless and that his role is not niche enough or in demand enough that him.losing his job would affect anyone outside of you.

As it stands I stand with those workers who are fighting for the betterment of all our rights

So how will people pay their bills? And how does that square with the Tory manifesto of a high wage economy?

They must have known there were strikes when they went. They are announced quite a way ahead. They could have rearranged their plans.

Despite the fact that people cannot live on these low wages?and would you fancy living on nmw in today's economic climate?

Yes, it is difficult to support something that effects you negatively. And no I don't support the ticket office/inspectors because I don't believe their jobs need saving

people fighting for better T&Cs is better for me long term as employer rights eroding is not good for any workers.
That's fine to not believe jobs need saving but equally you can't expect sympathy that your income suffers.

Worked in care homes most of my life, we aren't allowed to unionize and would be sacked if we went on strike.

I fully support the strikes.

If everyone that is striking for better conditions just quit then you’d be really fucked 😂

I fully support them.

The hilarious thing when people are opposed to nationalisation/the Tories say the government can’t run things - who do you think run these rail franchises? It’s German, French and Italian state rail companies! Eg Aviva West Coast is owned by Trenitalia!
if you go to Italy, their trains are fine! Aviva West Coast on the other hand provides a shocking service!

I honestly think it would be best for the rail companies to collapse and rail to be renaionalized.

You realise that the railways effectively are nationalised? They're being micromanaged to the nth degree by Whitehall. No wonder the service is so bad.

Just to dispell this misinformation you have a right by UK law to be a member of a union if you choose.

If you are prevented from joining a union or if your employer is stupid enough to dismiss you for being a union member then you seek legal advice immediately through your union - thats what your subs pay for, representation including legal advice and representation.

By what mechanism have they prevented you?

Or sack you for going on strike, when done in a controlled manner and coordinated with support ofyour union

I support the strikes.
We need to close the gap between rich and poor it's just way way too large.

About ticket office workers doing nothing (PP above). That’s until your young teen needs a ticket they can’t work out on the ticket machine, or your older teen gets ill on the train or platform , or your elderly parent needs assistance to get on the train. So do shut up if it doesn’t affect your life
Quite rude!
I don’t even understand your point, are you saying the ticket lady sitting at her counter that PP mentioned would be the one helping an
ill passenger on a train?! Surly not.
Sorry but the « young teen » most likely will buy their ticket from their phone if they can’t work out the machine.
A lot of things people strike about I agree with, but a blanket « no job cuts » I don’t, if technology makes a position not needed anymore why keep paying someone?

ps: my station also has a ticket officer sitting there, doing nothing but redirecting people to the machines if ever they come to the counter with a question.

Hopefully everyone will support the teachers as well and not moan about their DC not being at school

I'd go as far as supporting all NHS staff striking. Yea shit will hit the fan. People will suffer. But we need to the generation who fixes this to force the changes.

Places with ticket offices always want you to use the machines whether it be buses, trains, or practically anything else that has an office

These shop workers should join a union then. There is one because I joined when I worked in a shop 10 years ago and got all the other staff onboard too. It came in very handy for a few of the staff when they were treated unfairly.
One of the key holders was rushed into hospital one Saturday night when she was supposed to be opening up and working on the sunday. Her husband let her line manager know, line manager rang the other 2 key holders but didn't get a reply at 6am on a sunday morning so the shop didn't open that day.
Manager then decreed that all key holders had to be available and contactable by phone ready to go in to work at short notice at all times.times these key holders were paid 25p per hour more than minimum wage. The union stepped in and sorted this out.