BBC News - Train drivers overwhelmingly middle-aged white men

[Adrian1980uk]

Why must every profession now be diverse, overall interest in becoming a train driver is overwhelmingly a white boys ambition therefore likely most train drivers will be white male. Culture has a large impact on what work people do.

 

[berwicksfinest]

Well to buck this trend my daughter has followed my (and my Dad's) footsteps !!! as Freight Driver.

 

[dk1]

Why must every profession now be diverse, overall interest in becoming a train driver is overwhelmingly a white boys ambition therefore likely most train drivers will be white male. Culture has a large impact on what work people do.

I understand where you are coming from but that’s just how things are nowadays. Nothing is straightforward & everything seems to demand a full blown enquiry.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Well put, I agree.

Thank you.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

In other shock news it has recently been revealed that the majority of train drivers have a head, two arms and two legs

This implies that a minority do not, which I find concerning

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Well to buck this trend my daughter has followed my (and my Dad's) footsteps !!! as Freight Driver.

Well done, and all my best to her. And exactly my point. People should be judged (career wise) on their merits for the job and nothing else. If you saw the thread a while back about a derailment at Walton on Thames, the (female) driver concerned is a personal friend and former colleague for whom I have the utmost respect as both a person and a driver. My issue is with the need for all this other (box ticking?) stuff that detracts from the core job of appointing suitable people to this or that job. The country (not just railway) needs to re-wind to basic skill requirements when it comes to job applications etc.

 

[Gemz91]

Wonder what the demographic of sewage workers is? Should imagine quite similar. Wonder if the BBC will report on that too.

 

[dk1]

Wonder what the demographic of sewage workers is? Should imagine quite similar. Wonder if the BBC will report on that too.

Weirdly they are obsessed with us train drivers

 

[PG]

BBC(Hampshire & IoW) is just quoting a NSAR article largely dealing with Southern which, of course, covers part of Hampshire.

I wonder if the NSAR obtain some benefit (funding?) which is contingent on improving diversity, hence why they have written this article, as it improves their own survival?

 

[ComUtoR]

I mean, I would hope that if someone complained about the crucifix, they would be told that it's none of their business or concern.

It's about actions people take to deliberately cause offence and push the edge. Some may wear something specifically symbolic as a form of protest against certain beliefs.

The pride flag one is a trickier one but I would say that if you work for a company who supports LGBT pride, you have to accept that you would sometimes have to be around pride imagery.

What if you were in a company who specifically espouses anti LGBT viewpoint ?

However they should never force you to have to actively support it yourself.

Some believe that by driving that unit, they are supporting it. I'll ask again. Should someone who has a specific religious viewpoint that is considered anti LGBT be 'forced' to drive a pride liveried unit ?

overall interest in becoming a train driver is overwhelmingly a white boys ambition

Says who ?

Culture has a large impact on what work people do.

So does fear.

Should all immigrants be reduced to the lowest paid jobs that others reject ? Should the Windrush generation be limited to being Bus Conductors ? Is it right that certain demographics are Doctors and Consultants ?

 

[Barry169]

CEO of the Titanic Sub tour company wasn't going to just hire middle-aged white blokes.

Mr. Rush had said in an interview that experience in handling subsea vehicles was less important to him than wanting “our team to have a variety of different backgrounds.”

“One of the things you’ll find is there are other sub operators out there, but they typically have gentlemen who are ex-military submariners, and you’ll see a whole bunch of 50-year-old white guys,” Mr. Rush told marine equipment-manufacturing company Teledyne Marine.

Titanic sub company chief didn’t want to hire older White men; not ‘inspirational’

The excursion company executive who launched the now-missing vessel that was bound for the Titanic’s wreckage is being scrutinized for past comments in which he said he didn’t want to hire “50-year-old white guys” because they weren’t “inspirational” figures.

www.washingtontimes.com

Wonder how that panned out.

 

[ComUtoR]

Wonder how that panned out.

Are you implying they should have employed middle aged white guys ? or that they should have employed with diversity in mind, or that they died because they were being woke ?

Or maybe that 50yr old white guys would have been better.

 

[Coolzac]

It's about actions people take to deliberately cause offence and push the edge. Some may wear something specifically symbolic as a form of protest against certain beliefs.



What if you were in a company who specifically espouses anti LGBT viewpoint ?



Some believe that by driving that unit, they are supporting it. I'll ask again. Should someone who has a specific religious viewpoint that is considered anti LGBT be 'forced' to drive a pride liveried unit ?



Says who ?



So does fear.

Should all immigrants be reduced to the lowest paid jobs that others reject ? Should the Windrush generation be limited to being Bus Conductors ? Is it right that certain demographics are Doctors and Consultants ?

Regarding your first question, if I worked for a company who were generally anti LGBT, I would probably choose not to work for them. However, if I didn't have much of a choice I would go along with it as long as they treated everyone with respect.


With your second question, I personally believe that driving a train in a pride livery isn't in any real sense forcing someone with religious views into doing or believing something against their religion. I think there has to be a limit on making concessions to personal viewpoints at work. The same applies to all religions and those with agnostic/atheist beliefs.

 

[ComUtoR]

Regarding your first question, if I worked for a company who were generally anti LGBT, I would probably choose not to work for them. However, if I didn't have much of a choice I would go along with it as long as they treated everyone with respect.

It's crazy isn't it. We are so easily bought and sold that the capitalism will win out. Lots of people will go against their principles and generally 'suck it up' because they can make the daily grind. I am unsure where I sit with this.

With your second question, I personally believe that driving a train in a pride livery isn't in any real sense forcing someone with religious views into doing or believing something against their religion.

Many thanks for your reply and I appreciate the engagement. This is RHETORICAL... What if there was a *Swastika ?

I think there has to be a limit on making concessions to personal viewpoints at work. The same applies to all religions and those with agnostic/atheist beliefs.

Which is where the Equal Ops Act comes into play and many, many people misunderstand it. What is reasonable, which characteristic takes president, what legal restrictions are there, what is the social norm at the time of implementation. How do we reconcile Red vs Blue; as per the liberal paradox ? My TOC specifically states that we are 'secular' but also specifically recognise other specific religious dates. This is hard to reconcile. I have friends who are very 'devout' but cannot celebrate their religion or act in accordance with their faith. Again, I am not longer sure where I sit.




*Devil's advocate. / Godwins Law

 

[12LDA28C]

What if there was a *Swastika ?

If there was an ancient symbol of prosperity, good fortune and well-being on the side of my train of course I'd be very happy to drive it. That is what you meant, right?

 

[ComUtoR]

If there was an ancient symbol of prosperity, good fortune and well-being on the side of my train of course I'd be very happy to drive it. That is what you meant, right?

Totally...
However, it was RHETORICAL

 

[DanNCL]

Most train drivers are white men, and the Pope is catholic. I’m not sure which one is less surprising to be honest!

Why this is considered news I don’t know. It’s hardly been a secret that most train drivers are men age 30-60. Young train drivers aren’t that common nor are female drivers but both groups are becoming more common. And there absolutely does need to be a push to make railway jobs more attractive to more women, but the recruitment process isn’t the place to do that. The best person for the job should be hired, sometimes that person will be a woman, sometimes that person will be young, sometimes that person will be BAME, sometimes that person will be LGBT, sometimes that person will have a disability, sometimes all of the above will describe that person, and sometimes that person will be a middle aged straight white man. If they’re the best person for the job then hire them, no need to pick someone else solely for the sake of having a ‘more diverse’ workforce.

Not so sure LGBT representation is much of problem on the railway. I’ve always thought the railway seemed to have more openly LGBT people, both staff and enthusiasts, than many other walks of life.

I find it odd that they’re focussing on train drivers rather than airline pilots. An even lower percentage of airline pilots are women.

 

[ComUtoR]

Why this is considered news I don’t know.

Because it's 2024 and the railway is still living in Victorian times and maybe, just maybe, we want the world to be a better place.

My TOC has just sent out the Gender Pay Gap statistics. Should we not do that ? Is it not important that we keep pushing for equality ?

"Women get paid less, News at 11 !!!!!! ! ! "

 

[DanNCL]

Because it's 2024 and the railway is still living in Victorian times and maybe, just maybe, we want the world to be a better place.

My TOC has just sent out the Gender Pay Gap statistics. Should we not do that ? Is it not important that we keep pushing for equality ?

"Women get paid less, News at 11 !!!!!! ! ! "

That’s not comparable. Gender Pay Gap statistics are important, there shouldn’t be a gender pay gap and for as long as there is one then things need to change. But that actually is something that should be focussed on, rather than who exactly is being hired which is simply the best person from the list that applied, regardless whether that person is a man or a woman.

News needs to be newsworthy. Reporting that the gender pay gap isn’t closing as quickly as it should be is news. Reporting what we already know that most of the people who want to drive trains are men isn't news.

 

[Egg Centric]

Wonder how that panned out.

Swimmingly

(I'll get me coat)

Gender Pay Gap statistics are important, there shouldn’t be a gender pay gap

Bear in mind that gender pay gap does not (as you might think from the way it's usually reported) mean that women and men doing the same/comparable job are being paid differently. It is literally a male V female comparison tool i.e. men are paid more than women in company/country X, even if they're doing entirely different jobs.

 

[DanNCL]

Bear in mind that gender pay gap does not (as you might think from the way it's usually reported) mean that women and men doing the same/comparable job are being paid differently. It is literally a male V female comparison tool i.e. men are paid more than women in company/country X, even if they're doing entirely different jobs.

There’s normally, at least on the gender pay reports I’ve seen from other sectors, comparisons both for specific skill/role and for the overall workplace.