Rail strikes will impact students returning home for Christmas

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Strikes announced for 13-14 and 16-17 December. DS was due to come home on 15th, but we know already it will be shit on the day between.
Fortunately DH has said he will go and get him (and bring back any of his friends who live near us).
His girlfriend however was in tears last night as was also due to travel the length of the country on 15th, with a family party on 16th, but now isn't sure what to do and whether she can make it (last strike she got half way, then had to turn back).

Also, this week they've had lectures cancelled due to uni strikes, and they have assessments in two weeks' time.

I just feel really sad for them.

What a trooper. So did he decline the improved benefits to teacher’s pay and conditions seeing as he declined to join his colleagues on the picket line?
being a Head is not just about ensuring the pupils get the best, it’s also ensuring that the staff you employ also have the best working conditions possible.

The timing of the rail strikes both before and after Christmas are a real pain. 2 at Uni - in locations about as far East and as far West as it is possible to be.

one has lectures ending Friday 16th, although with the lecturer strikes he’s not 100% sure if that is going ahead. His uni is relatively at highlighting what is / is not running, seemingly on a day by day basis. Although he went onto campus for a PM lecture yesterday showing as going ahead when he checked in the morning but cancelled when he got there. It’s only a 15 minute walk but up a very steep hill and in the pouring rain was the combined issue (in his world). DS2 is going a masters but had strikes back in his first year showing how long the issues date back.

Will you listen to yourself?! You can't go to your friends' place in the country, oh no, how ghastly for you.

Workers are striking for better pay during a cost of living crisis. It might cause inconvenience but how can you not support them?

I do enjoy reverse snobbery.

I'm housesitting for them so my friend can spend it with her dying mother.

Exactly. And if teaching staff end up striking in the new year I am in support - I'd far rather teachers' payrises were fully funded rather than coming out of the school budget. Quite frankly if my dad was a retired head who didn't strike I'd be too embarrassed to admit that.

It's a right PITA. Our dd is coming home earlier, luckily but I feel for anyone who has already booked a ticket.

Damn, should have chosen the anniversary.

What else is it they're striking for aside from pay?

Dd has booked a coach, she's given up on trains. Unreliable and£££

Feel so sorry for this age group, most students don’t have cars and rail travel is so important,, and it’s so expensive anyway. Lecturer strikes, cost of living, what a bloody awful time to be a student when you should be having the time of your life.

@Yellowstone482 off the top of my head from what I can remember..

Getting rid of tons of operatives, (not just operatives) they ensure the tracks are safe and deal with any repairs/upgrades. People are concerned about safety with be amount they're talking about cutting.

Sending workers miles away from their designated depot, longer more unsociable hours. Redundancies in the thousands.

Everyone is going to strike - lecturers, nurses, teachers, rail workers, maybe doctors etc - that is what entrenched inflation looks like. The point is these are fairly secure jobs providing essential services so they CAN strike to get more pay/pension/better working conditions/avert changes. They are unionised and protected, somewhat.
But what about people with far less secure rights relying on the former services? Those on zero hours contracts, self employed etc minimum wage jobs - they can’t strike. They can only survive.

Could be wait until the strikes are finished?

There's still pretty of time to get back for Xmas (unless he has a Christmas job waiting at home or someone can pick him up)

While I generally support the aims of the strikes, I am unsure how annoying and inconveniencing train travellers will help them reach their aims? I could angrily contact the train companies and/or government to ask them to enter talks with the unions, so that the strikes will be called off, but am pretty sure that neither of them actually cares that I am inconvenienced or pissed off? Or that anyone else is pissed off. So why would they take any notice of my ire?

Honestly I don't know. I've never been in a position though where I've felt the need to strike. I suppose it creates noise doesn't it.

Our local Facebook page has a thread about sharing lifts for this very reason.

I'm sick of all these strikes. Do they think everyone else is getting massive pay rises?
Not a student or a parent of one, but the strikes look as if they'll affect my and DP's attempt to get to the airport for our anniversary trip away, and our trip to our friends' place in the country for Christmas.
No sympathy left for them.

The ignorance is strong here.

There strikes will affect DDs ability to PAY HER BILLS. She voted for them. She voted for them because she wants to keep her job and be able to do it safely. What a shame you are missing a trip to the country

8 days pay lost over 2 pay packets and no chance to make it up with overtime is a hell of a price to pay for these workers.

They don't need your sympathy but at the very least try to find some understanding?

It’s all such a pain. My DS is due back and ticket booked 18th. It’s a shame we can’t do a mumsnet relay 😂 I’m South and DS is at Uni up North. I thought his ticket was suspiciously cheap!!!

Driving there and back in a day is hard work and bloody expensive!

Fully supportive of the strikes here. My daughter uses a wheelchair and we need staffed stations and trains to travel.

Children at university can either travel a little earlier or a little later. It's a fairly minor inconvenience.

Aww f**k. Every other thread is " I'm middle class on a great income and can't afford my electricity bills so the government should help me". But people helping themselves by fighting back for decent wages and terms are inconveniencing some students and their parents? Boo hoo.

40 years ago university students would have been supporting workers on strike.

Now is the time for all students to stand up for workers rights before the Tories finally hammer the last nail in the coffin.

This

I'm surprised all these students are coming home so early when DS was at university he didn't come home until the 24th as he was working in his part time job.

Perhaps this strike is more important than an anniversary trip.

Btw I’m flying home to see my elderly dm on a strike day so have had to rearrange my journey from the airport.
Frustrating but I still fully support the strike.

Finish dates vary, as do vacation job locations.

Anyway, it's all a PITA but possible to workaround. One of mine if going back a day earlier, snapped up a cheap ticket this morning.