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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this spineless government will give in to grabby train drivers

185 replies

LupaMoonhowl · 31/08/2025 09:32

I live in London and wasn’t aware of this till I saw in mentioned in passing on another thread.
It is utterly scandalous that they can hold the city to ransom like this! How can they cut off key transport for 5 days! And no doubt they’re confident that the spineless, incompetent and public sector/vote buying government and cynical chancer Kahn will give into what they demand.
Back to the 70s 😔😔
Tube and DLR strikes - September 2025
Strikes are planned on the Tube and DLR.

  • From Sunday 7 to Thursday 11 September 2025, Tube services will be severely disrupted, with little to no service expected
  • Any services that do run between Monday 8 and Friday 12 September will start later than usual with no service before 08:00
  • On Tuesday 8 and Thursday 11 September 2025, there will also be no service on the DLR
OP posts:
Wonderwendy · 01/09/2025 17:53

EmmaMaria · 01/09/2025 17:34

I think I have made myself very clear. I fully support workers striking for better pay and conditions. So the answer is obvious, is it not? It is not and never should be a race to the bottom. Whether they are "well paid" is a matter of opinion, There are lots of people paid more who do a lot less useful work, in my opinion. But this is the nature of capitalism - there is no such thing as "enough" money or "enough" wages or "enough" profit. If they can win - and that is a very different discussion - then more power to their elbows. They pay taxes too!

Show quote history

Ok fair enough. No it isn't a race to the bottom but there also isn't limitless cash. I don't personally want my taxes to go to increased wages for train drivers when education/ the NHS / the care sector / the police need it more.
And frankly in a similar vein to you not having sympathy with Londoners because we have better transport than elsewhere I find it hard to have sympathy with train drivers who earn twice what I do just on their base salary. And when you add in all the perks of public sector work it's considerably more than that.
So yeah. I hope they dont get it. But it's easy for me to say that when I dont use the tube that often.

DurinsBane · 01/09/2025 18:09

quartile · 01/09/2025 12:11

How many people have threatened to leave if they don't get a pay rise. Or got a new job and asked their employer to match it. Ever negotiated with your employer to not work Fridays or from home? - People with the power to do this, do this.
When there is only one employer and only one trained workforce strikes happen instead.

Edited
Show quote history

Exactly

Hiddenmnetter · 01/09/2025 18:10

Wonderwendy · 01/09/2025 17:53

Ok fair enough. No it isn't a race to the bottom but there also isn't limitless cash. I don't personally want my taxes to go to increased wages for train drivers when education/ the NHS / the care sector / the police need it more.
And frankly in a similar vein to you not having sympathy with Londoners because we have better transport than elsewhere I find it hard to have sympathy with train drivers who earn twice what I do just on their base salary. And when you add in all the perks of public sector work it's considerably more than that.
So yeah. I hope they dont get it. But it's easy for me to say that when I dont use the tube that often.

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Your taxes aren’t going on driver wages.

LittleBearPad · 01/09/2025 19:35

Hiddenmnetter · 01/09/2025 02:56

Both wrong.

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Not wrong. There is no driver driving a DLR train.

LittleBearPad · 01/09/2025 19:36

DdraigGoch · 01/09/2025 00:56

I won't take any lessons from the US on road safety.

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Whether you do or don’t, driverless cars will be in the UK before long.

Hiddenmnetter · 01/09/2025 20:00

LittleBearPad · 01/09/2025 19:35

Not wrong. There is no driver driving a DLR train.

Show quote history

They may not be called a driver, but there is someone on that train who is trained sufficiently to take over the manual control of that train. Because if the train goes non communicating, it can’t be moved by the system.

Hiddenmnetter · 01/09/2025 20:05

Sorry im not an expert on the DLR, however i concede around the bank loop they may be unmanned because they believe there’s a sufficiently low risk of NCT (I.e.: a single loop and VCC boundary) there and it’s easy enough to get a driver there if it does go NCT.

DdraigGoch · 01/09/2025 20:21

LittleBearPad · 01/09/2025 19:36

Whether you do or don’t, driverless cars will be in the UK before long.

Show quote history

I can't wait to see the chaos on our narrow streets and lanes. Will be hilarious.

The fun you can have with traffic cones too...

roses2 · 07/09/2025 11:09

Have I understood this right?

  • The strikes are by TFL workers who work 35 hours a week and want 32 hours (for same pay presumably)
  • Average salary is £44k for station workers and £71k drivers based on the 35 hours
  • Pension is 27% from TFL and they contribute 5%

If the above is correct, I am just WTF - this is getting ridiculous now.

Hiddenmnetter · 07/09/2025 14:18

roses2 · 07/09/2025 11:09

Have I understood this right?

  • The strikes are by TFL workers who work 35 hours a week and want 32 hours (for same pay presumably)
  • Average salary is £44k for station workers and £71k drivers based on the 35 hours
  • Pension is 27% from TFL and they contribute 5%

If the above is correct, I am just WTF - this is getting ridiculous now.

AFAIK the strike is regarding management not fulfilling promises made in previous pay deals. From what I hear the pay offer itself is acceptable to the union, however there are a series of agreements that were made by management in previous pay deals that haven’t been fulfilled and are now being reneged on. As to what they are specifically I’m not sure.

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