I appreciate that you don't agree with the changes but isn't this a little bit OTT?
No it is perfectly fair. The attitude of Southern / DFT / Wilkinson / Grayling / Perry and so on is a mixture of greed, outright nastiness and incompetency.
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So for the quiet life we should simply cave in to all the Unions demands,and allow workers in essential services armed with the the power to cause serious public disruption through strikes to get more and more for doing less or the same amount whilst merely turning a blind eye to everyone else
I do not want the duties and stress (and criminal / legal liabilty) of the guard (nor the platform dispatcher and general station staff - because they are at risk too) of their job on top of my own.
Neither do I want nor demand massive pay rises (which in fact are usually given in return for handing all your conditions over). In fact I am personally quite happy with what I get, and my conditions of service.
I am quite willing to modernise by using proven modern driving techniques (press and call and risk triggered commentary). I am quite willing to use new technology such as GSMR and TMS systems. I'm even quite willing to open the train doors, or closing them (after receiving the 2 -1 bell code from the guard). I am open to the possibility of Sundays in the working week, and having to do more depot work on nights or whatnot. I am not interested in striking or screwing the job up for the sheer sake of it.
And yet I am portrayed as some dinosaur / union militant / hard leftist / Trotskyite / luddite / commie thug for being anti-DOO, a position shared by my driving colleagues, guard colleagues and station colleagues, the vast bulk of line managers (including my current ones) and regional managers I have spoken to on the topic.
And as for the guards' wanting more for less - in many cases gone are the days of riding in a van having a fag - modern "train managers" use all the latest ticketing equipment, have access to PIS equipment, smartphones filled with programs to find out about journey information and disruption, on many trains are situated in the train in public offices easily accessible to the public. The grade has modernised and is quite willing to use technology and has in many cases become far far more customer focused, than about coupling up buckeyes or whatever. Rather than wanting more for less, the guards are simply wanting to continue doing their duties safely in accordance with their contract, and are open to new ways of working, technology and whatever helps them ensure great customer service is provided, whilst having the support and backup to challenge anti-social behaviour. Even on franchises which may not have all the bells and whistles and modern stock, the grade is quick to modernise and make the most of new things - I have regularly taken trips out on the Northern 319s in the last year, and on every trip the guard has always been using intermediate door controls doing revenue and being visible, whilst ensuring train dispatch is safe too.
Much of the language against guards or unions or drivers assumes that all of us are all sat there chain smoking and playing cards, flying the red flag for communism whilst refusing to take the 47 and rake of Mark I's out, because a manager dared to enter the drivers' messroom without knocking on a Tuesday, or some other trivial rubbish. It's a complete nonsense.