Upcoming rail strikes

[danumdon]

Looks like all the right wing MSM are up in arms about the possibility of rail strikes, trying to blame rail staff who, are already highly remunerated, not worth the money they get , holding the country to ransom, left wing extremists who are lining their own pocket, ect, ect.

Are they right, is this something the left should be pushing for all its worth, why is it only Lisa Nandy who's broken cover and backed them? is this not something that the whole labour movement should be getting behind?

[danumdon]

For the record i know quite a few people who work on the railway in different job classifications. The MSM are making out unfairly that the average wages paid are high(above 42k) this is very ingenious as they managed to incorporate train drivers wages(which are circa 70k) into the same averages. For this money they work some pretty horrible night and weekend turns, in poor conditions, usually making do a mend with some of the equipment they have to work with.

I could never complain about what some of these guys earn, i know what they have had to go through to get it, they worked continuously through covid, no furlough or WFH for them. They have a strong union who stands  and fights their corner for them, good luck to them.

[tyke1962]

The fact of the matter is inflation is running at 9% so any criticism of greedy or get paid enough doesn't wash .

People live to the wages they earn , greedy is seeking a 20% pay increase when inflation is running at 2% .

If they have  strong membership within the union then it's their right to seek the best terms and conditions they can .

[danumdon]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/newsalerts/video-2706593/Video-Labours-Rachel-Reeves-refuses-rule-joining-rail-strike.html?ito=email_share_video-drawer

Does this sound like a Chancellor of the Exchequer in waiting?

Sound like someone out of her depth and not sure what she's supposed to be saying on camera.

One of Labours biggest and brightest stars? Lord help us, makes Johnson sound coherent.

[MachoMadness]

Labour leadership waiting for that red wall focus group to tell them what their principles are before deciding either way.

[danumdon]

We've had our operations disrupted today. our maintenance engineers could not attend any NWR locations today as they were all under picket. All have been briefed about not getting into any confrontations or altercations with the pickets, unsurprisingly they all turned around and went home.

This will have a knock on effect for the rest of this weeks works programs as equipment will not be serviced and maintained ready to work. Not to worry everyone gets paid and NWR pick up the tab for contracted works not being completed.

Win win for the company, and our blokes spend the day in the beer garden.

[Nudga]

It's not just about wages either. It's about redundancies and cross boundary working.
They tried this 14 years ago when I was on the railway, they didn't totally get what they wanted then.

[Filo]

It's not just about wages either. It's about redundancies and cross boundary working.
They tried this 14 years ago when I was on the railway, they didn't totally get what they wanted then.

I’ve never understood why trackworkers from the North work down South and trackworkers from the South work up North, it must cost a fortune in digs money

[danumdon]

It's not just about wages either. It's about redundancies and cross boundary working.
They tried this 14 years ago when I was on the railway, they didn't totally get what they wanted then.

From speaking with NWR staff over the last year or so this confrontation has been brewing for a very long time, it now also seems that NWR (gov) want the DU's to pick up the tab for the pandemic spend as well as the accrued losses from years of awful budgeting and cost controls. If the union loose their dispute it will involve very large redundancies and remaining staff being asked to pick up the not inconsiderable slack, this will never work and the railway will become a very dangerous place for both passengers and rail staff.

Lets just hope we don't get Potters Barr and Hatfield Mk2 because its very much on the cards, if people knew just some of the very close calls that happen on frequent occasions they would run a mile.

[danumdon]

It's not just about wages either. It's about redundancies and cross boundary working.
They tried this 14 years ago when I was on the railway, they didn't totally get what they wanted then.

I’ve never understood why trackworkers from the North work down South and trackworkers from the South work up North, it must cost a fortune in digs money

Ill give you a small clue, it begins with M and ends in Y, plenty of it. scandalous.

[albie]

Some strange media reporting going on, talking about inflationary pay increases and comparing RMT members with nurses, for some reason.

Anyone who can't see that simply maintaining living standards in a cost of living crisis, is not a pay increase but avoiding loss of income, must have their eyes painted on.

Meanwhile, Keith is keen to avoid being identified with working people defending their rights;
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/21/labour-frontbenchers-defy-keir-starmer-and-join-rail-strike-pickets

Jesus wept!

EDIT;
Put this in here as I did not see that we already had a thread about this.

[danumdon]

The dynamic Starmer will not give a sh*t about RMT's dispute and requirements. The bloke is too scared to get involved as it would draw him into the fire of the Gov, i can think of previous Labour leaders turning in their graves when you see the emasculated leadership that the Labour top brass are demonstrating on this issue.

Quite obviously not the demographic that Labour is looking out for anymore. Then they wonder why the electorate are looking elsewhere.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I feel there's a simple answer if they want to tie it to inflation do so, but on that principle if inflation goes negative pay would too?

I can see both sides.  If costs are high you can't just keep it going forever you have to cut the costs somehow.  It's either save money or increase fees and fares.

[albie]

The rail industry is a public service, and is effectively under public control, as the sector has come back in house.

The purse strings are held by the government, not by the operating companies, who receive financial support to keep their operations running.

So the dispute is really between the rail unions and the government.
If the Labour Party does not know which side it is on with this, they should just merge with the Tories and have done with it.

Labour will need TU financial support going forwards. Without it, there is no cash for a GE campaign.

How Keith reckons to keep TU support without full political backing is hard to fathom out.

[SydneyRover]

Starmer will serve the unions better by winning the next election rather than giving the media another rod.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Integrity going begging again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrluNy8qUzU

[albie]

I'm afraid the TU don't see it that way, Syd......precious few will!

The dispute in a nutshell from Iain Watson of the BBC;
https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1539124598595366913

It is the government pulling the strings, but they will not negotiate directly with the RMT.
Why....because they want the strike to happen to act as a diversion from their own wretched debacles!

[BobG]

I feel there's a simple answer if they want to tie it to inflation do so, but on that principle if inflation goes negative pay would too?

I can see both sides.  If costs are high you can't just keep it going forever you have to cut the costs somehow.  It's either save money or increase fees and fares.

Can you remind me, please, BFYP, the last time there was negative inflation in this country? Technically, your point is valid, but in the real world, where people actually work, it is specious.

BobG

[redwine]

I feel there's a simple answer if they want to tie it to inflation do so, but on that principle if inflation goes negative pay would too?

I can see both sides.  If costs are high you can't just keep it going forever you have to cut the costs somehow.  It's either save money or increase fees and fares.

Can you remind me, please, BFYP, the last time there was negative inflation in this country? Technically, your point is valid, but in the real world, where people actually work, it is specious.

BobG

Isn't negative inflation, deflation?

Asking for a friend

[BobG]

Yes.

Bob

[redwine]

Yes.

Bob

Cheers Bob

It's 42 yrs since I got my Economic s degree.

 

[BobG]

It's 45 since I got my History & Politics one!

Bob

[MachoMadness]

Starmer will serve the unions better by winning the next election rather than giving the media another rod.

How does looking like a dithering wet wipe help labour win power? Poll out today says the majority think the strikes are justified. An even larger majority thinks it's the government's fault. And he's the leader of the LABOUR party! So he's out of touch with just about everyone he's supposed to represent with this bizarre stance.

I'm sure much of this is coming from Mandelson and the other right wing ghouls infesting the LOTO office. But still.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I feel there's a simple answer if they want to tie it to inflation do so, but on that principle if inflation goes negative pay would too?

I can see both sides.  If costs are high you can't just keep it going forever you have to cut the costs somehow.  It's either save money or increase fees and fares.

Can you remind me, please, BFYP, the last time there was negative inflation in this country? Technically, your point is valid, but in the real world, where people actually work, it is specious.

BobG

2015 or something like that I think. It is very rare but it is very much possible in the current environment that we'll see it for a period of time.  Do we really think 9% pay rises would be sensible?  Note my company did 3% this year which seamt fair.

If I was in government I'd go with a tax cut alongside pay rises.  That's a more meaningful tax cut and pay rise then.

[i_ateallthepies]

I feel there's a simple answer if they want to tie it to inflation do so, but on that principle if inflation goes negative pay would too?

I can see both sides.  If costs are high you can't just keep it going forever you have to cut the costs somehow.  It's either save money or increase fees and fares.

Can you remind me, please, BFYP, the last time there was negative inflation in this country? Technically, your point is valid, but in the real world, where people actually work, it is specious.

BobG

2015 or something like that I think. It is very rare but it is very much possible in the current environment that we'll see it for a period of time.  Do we really think 9% pay rises would be sensible?  Note my company did 3% this year which seamt fair.

If I was in government I'd go with a tax cut alongside pay rises.  That's a more meaningful tax cut and pay rise then.

The working British public have suffered wage deflation for years, pud.  Not seen any balancing being done by this Tory government to counter it.

[rich1471]

Rolls Royce have offered a one off payment of 2k to employees to help with the cost of living the union turned it down saying it's not enough ,well it would help me if my company offered me that much to help me out

[wilts rover]

Nicked from the interweb but very true all the same:

Fixing strikes is Labour's job
Fixing Brexit is the EU's job
Fixing inflation is Putin's job
Fixing cost of living is workers' job
Fixing housing is immigrants' job
And fixing immigration is Rwanda's job

But we have to keep Boris, cos he gets things done.

https://twitter.com/RussInCheshire/status/1539260920693772289

[danumdon]

Rolls Royce have offered a one off payment of 2k to employees to help with the cost of living the union turned it down saying it's not enough ,well it would help me if my company offered me that much to help me out

The trouble with the £2000 payment is that the employees will only see £1200 of it after tax (this is RR so all will be on the higher tax bracket) so in effect not such a big deal for these highly paid staff, in effect its equivalent to approx 2 days overtime. Sounds good but the devils in the detail.

[BillyStubbsTears]

You get paid £1000/day overtime DD?

[danumdon]

You get paid £1000/day overtime DD?

Ok maybe a little bit closer to 3 days, but you get the gist of my point.