Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

london underground will cut 800 jobs wtf!

16 replies

southeastastra · 31/03/2010 20:07

the system needs more staff! not less. really pees me off - is this because the ruling classes don't need to use public transport??

More money needs to go into the decrepid system not less.

OP posts:
BadgersPaws · 01/04/2010 09:46

"More money needs to go into the decrepid system not less."

If they weren't wasting so much money employing people that no longer need to be employed then there would be more money to spend on maintaining the fabric of the system.

TheCrackFox · 01/04/2010 10:21

Hmm, a lot of striking to follow no doubt.

Hey, it is like the 1970s all over again.

MillyMollyMoo · 01/04/2010 18:37

The summer of discontent .... I half hope Gordon sticks around to enjoy it

Original poster
southeastastra · 01/04/2010 18:39

why do less people need to be employed?

OP posts:
BadgersPaws · 02/04/2010 11:50

"why do less people need to be employed?"

In general modernisation, automation means that less people are required for all sorts of things.

In particular with the underground one issue is the manning of tube stations. Since the introduction of Oyster Cards the use of ticket offices has slumped dramatically. So London Underground wants to reduce it's station staffing levels outside of peak hours as it doesn't want to employ people to sit there doing nothing.

Considering that the tube receives a fair amount of public money as subsidy do you want your money to be used to keep someone sat behind a desk doing nothing do you want it to be used to keep the network running?

And more importantly do you want that decision made by the people who are running the business or by a Union boss who will threaten to cripple London unless your money is spent how he wants it to be spent, which coincidentally happens to be in a way that will secure his power base and the source of his salary and benefits which are over £100k and came with an 8% pay rise last year.

I'm actually a big believer in the necessity of Unions in the work place, but what's going on right now could easily lead to their destruction as it has in so many other industries.

MillyMollyMoo · 02/04/2010 12:24

For security I would suggest more staff presence not less is required, how much money is spent repairing vandalised stations and paying off staff who've been attacked compensation.
Not too mention the general public who are put off using unmanned stations and therefore spend their money somewhere else.

telsa · 02/04/2010 12:32

Automation is a joke - machines break down. Staff are needed to open barriers for children's prams. Staff are needed to give transport and ticket advice. Staff are needed to keep people feeling secure. Staff are needed in case there is an incident at the station or on the line. Staff are needed when the flipping Oyster card messes up - as they often do. And staff are needed because that's where I'd rather have my money spent than on fitting the tube up for privatisation and shareholder profits. Up the Unions! Way to go Bob Crow!

BadgersPaws · 02/04/2010 12:39

TFL are saying that all stations will continue to be manned at all times. However what they won't do is have an extra person sitting in the ticket office twiddling their thumbs.

And again you've got to consider who is best to make this decision? TFL whose reputation relies on running a safe network and who have a democratically elected mayor watching over them? Or a Union that doesn't represent all workers and relies on those workers to pay a bloated pay packet with above inflation pay rises to it's boss?

Nancy66 · 02/04/2010 12:41

I'd be more than happy if they got rid of those annoying twats on the platforms that like the sound of their own voices and make pointless announcements every 20 seconds

'the train is now approaching'

'stand behind the yellow line'

'allow the passengers off first'

'use all available space'

'take your belongings with you'

SHUT THE FUCK UP !

longfingernails · 02/04/2010 12:47

The dispute isn't about having staff or not - it's about having 1 staff member or 2 at very quiet times.

RMT says 1 will be unsafe. Personally, I agree that having staff around is useful but more than 1 is a waste of money at non-busy times.

Besides which, remember you are talking about Bob Crow. He is always wrong.

Nancy66 you mean friendly customer service representatives such as

this?

BadgersPaws · 02/04/2010 12:53

"Besides which, remember you are talking about Bob Crow. He is always wrong."

Well he can't always be wrong.

He's managed to get himself a huge salary and benefits package with inflation busting pay rises (though he said he didn't know if it was above inflation, he's just so in touch with what his workers lives are).

He's managed to get tube drivers paid £40,000 a year, £10,000 more than a qualified Nurse, for a 35 hour week with 43 days of holiday and free travel for them and their spouse.

He's managed to make it tricky to sack anyone no matter how many red signals they drive through or train doors that they open on the wrong side.

Grump.

I've more than half convinced that the Man's an under cover Tory sent in to destroy the Union movement from within.

telsa · 02/04/2010 12:56

Well those are all reasons why all the other union leaders should follow his lead - rather than sheepishly crumblling to neo-liberalism.

BadgersPaws · 02/04/2010 13:05

"Well those are all reasons why all the other union leaders should follow his lead"

So more dangerous workers will be prevented from being removed from their jobs and kept in place to fund the leaders extravagant pay and perk package while endangering us at the same time?

I just worry that this well lead to no strike rules being put on essential services like the trains and the gutting of the remaining unions in private industries.

Bob Crow will be fine, he's built up a nice little nest egg from his members contributions.

However the common worker will be in real trouble.

Caoimhe · 02/04/2010 18:35

Passing a red signal on the Underground isn't as big an issue as doing it on the mainline - the trainstop will stop the train (like it says on the tin) - the train can't get far at all.

As for opening the doors on the wrong side - well they retrofitted right-side-door-enable to prevent that (after a manager who was trying to prove that the drivers were stupid managed to open the doors on the wrong side ).

BadgersPaws · 03/04/2010 00:53

"As for opening the doors on the wrong side"

I was thinking more about the Victoria Line driver who didn't follow the correct procedures, opened the doors on the wrong side and then lied about it and tried to cover it up.

Quite understandably he was an obvious threat to the public's safety and yet the Union threw in a demand at the last minute during negotiations that he shouldn't be sacked.

I'm a firm believer in the Unions as being a vital balance in the work place. However Bob Crow has got to be an inside man who was told to go and break them from within.

It's a real shame, especially when I know RMT members who admit that they vote to strike because they want a day off.

It just feels like the whole Tolpuddle thing was all for nothing.

IMoveTheStars · 03/04/2010 01:22

what Badgers said.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page