If they enjoy their job and can pay the bills, why do they want anything more? I didn't get a pay rise last year. Doesn't bother me at all.Because 90-95% of drivers won’t see any benefit so why would they accept it.
If they enjoy their job and can pay the bills, why do they want anything more? I didn't get a pay rise last year. Doesn't bother me at all.Because 90-95% of drivers won’t see any benefit so why would they accept it.
Maybe they dislike their job and are struggling to pay their bills.If they enjoy their job and can pay the bills, why do they want anything more? I didn't get a pay rise last year. Doesn't bother me at all.
Has the RMT had much success in preventing recently proposed compulsory redundancies such as the SWR catering contractors. ?Thousands of whom are represented by the RMT...
If they enjoy their job and can pay the bills, why do they want anything more? I didn't get a pay rise last year. Doesn't bother me at all.
If they enjoy their job and can pay the bills, why do they want anything more? I didn't get a pay rise last year. Doesn't bother me at all.
Presumably not given that there's no sign of catering reappearing on SWR.Has the RMT had much success in preventing recently proposed compulsory redundancies such as the SWR catering contractors. ?
Ok thanks.Presumably not given that there's no sign of catering reappearing on SWR.
To clarify, I meant this year, not forever. To me, it doesn't seem like a good time to be complaining about pay or conditions. If you disagree with me, fair enough. I'm happy that I still have a job. If nothing else, it gives me a purpose in life.Again, isn’t that basically an argument for nobody ever receiving a pay rise?!
Lots of them probably don’t enjoy what can be an extremely demanding, anti social and demoralising role at times. Getting up at 0300 doesn’t get any easier just because there are fewer passengers in the back.
Even if they do enjoy it, if you were being paid £20K+ per year less than your peers doing exactly the same job at other companies, how would you feel?!
Nothing stopping them applying to an Inter City TOC & I’m sure well over half the working population probably know someone doing a similar job who earns more but isn’t currently planning to go on strike over itEven if they do enjoy it, if you were being paid £20K+ per year less than your peers doing exactly the same job at other companies, how would you feel?!
Why do people have such a dislike of train drivers earning a good wage ? There's plenty of occupations that earn far more and many in the rail industry earn more than drivers.It annoys me that people on that amount of money are asking for more when there is literally thousands of people who've lost their jobs due to the pandemic. It's just pure greed.
Overtime will never end, the nature of the industry and the working patterns / shifts. There's times it reduces but then staff retire / get promoted / leave etc but it takes 12 months to train a driver up. Plus most tocs run under complement of staff to save money.I understood that pre-covid Scotrail had recruited enough trainees to eventually eliminate routine overtime, and since they intend to reduce services to match the reduction in travel, they should not require additional drivers to move to 7 day working.
More expert people than I have argued that planes would now be safer without pilots because most accidents are caused by the pilots flying the plane manually instead of letting the auto systems do it.
And if an emergency arises in front of a train, there is nothing the driver can do, and yet they may get PTSD afterwards.
Some posters Sound like there members of the management pay negotiating teamAgain, isn’t that basically an argument for nobody ever receiving a pay rise?!
Lots of them probably don’t enjoy what can be an extremely demanding, anti social and demoralising role at times. Getting up at 0300 doesn’t get any easier just because there are fewer passengers in the back.
Even if they do enjoy it, if you were being paid £20K+ per year less than your peers doing exactly the same job at other companies, how would you feel?!
There’s a simple answer to that and it applies in every other industry where there is more than one employer.Even if they do enjoy it, if you were being paid £20K+ per year less than your peers doing exactly the same job at other companies, how would you feel?!
That would be nothing short of miraculous. My particular TOC merged with two others 17 years ago & we are still on three separate contracts as none could agree on any form of harmonisation.There’s a simple answer to that and it applies in every other industry where there is more than one employer.
In saying that, once GB Railways are in charge there may well be a chance of pay and conditions being harmonised across the industry.
One that operates north of about Crewe perchance?That would be nothing short of miraculous. My particular TOC merged with two others 17 years ago & we are still on three separate contracts as none could agree on any form of harmonisation.
Bit further East. I can’t see much harmonisation happening in my working career.One that operates north of about Crewe perchance?
Yep, the current situation is a mess all right, it’ll be interesting to see if nettles are grasped or if things get kicked into the long grass in the next few years
Think more Stadlerland...One that operates north of about Crewe perchance?
It’s a wonderful place with an abundance of rolling stock & traincrew.Think more Stadlerland...
I enjoy my non railway job and earn enough to pay my bills. That said I also want to earn enough for fund my hobbies and have a decent holiday each year. I also want to earn the going rate for my skillset and expertise.If they enjoy their job and can pay the bills, why do they want anything more? I didn't get a pay rise last year. Doesn't bother me at all.
These are hard times for the transport industry and there simply isn't the money available to be handing out pay increases.
Whilst there are many criticisms to make of the furlough scheme, I think there is a drastic difference here.That argument starts to look rather hollow when the government has apparently been able to afford to pay people £30k per year for doing absolutely nothing. The money is there alright, it’s just a question of priorities.
That's a one-off payment, same as a lump sum payment to railway staff instead of a pay rise would be.That argument starts to look rather hollow when the government has apparently been able to afford to pay people £30k per year for doing absolutely nothing. The money is there alright, it’s just a question of priorities.
Pay increases for the railway mean increasing the subsidy of an already heavily subsidised public service - on a permanent basis. You're never going to get union agreement to pay cuts, after all.
And, rightly or wrongly, people will say "well for what"? The UK has never relied less on its railways. The majority of passenger traffic recovery has been in leisure travel, which is by definition mostly non-essential, and could in many cases be undertaken by other means of transport. And freight (mostly) stands on its own two feet, but again could largely be transported by road if push came to shove.
So although in one given year the bill for furlough might vastly exceed the bill for railway pay increases - because it's a permanent increase, over the long term the cost would really add up. In the circumstances it's not difficult to see why increasing pay, even if it's morally justified in some ways, is going to be an uphill battle for the unions.
That's a one-off payment, same as a lump sum payment to railway staff instead of a pay rise would be.
So leisure travel is not essential ! It's essential for the UK economy, the commutters are coming back gradually but leisure travel has never been so busy.Whilst there are many criticisms to make of the furlough scheme, I think there is a drastic difference here.
Furlough is a time-limited scheme to pay people up to 80% of their wages, because the government has forced their employer to close and/or made it uneconomic for them to trade.
Pay increases for the railway mean increasing the subsidy of an already heavily subsidised public service - on a permanent basis. You're never going to get union agreement to pay cuts, after all.
And, rightly or wrongly, people will say "well for what"? The UK has never relied less on its railways. The majority of passenger traffic recovery has been in leisure travel, which is by definition mostly non-essential, and could in many cases be undertaken by other means of transport. And freight (mostly) stands on its own two feet, but again could largely be transported by road if push came to shove.
So although in one given year the bill for furlough might vastly exceed the bill for railway pay increases - because it's a permanent increase, over the long term the cost would really add up. In the circumstances it's not difficult to see why increasing pay, even if it's morally justified in some ways, is going to be an uphill battle for the unions.
Being realistic about something is not the same as being happy about it.I will never understand the mentality of people who are happy not to get a payrise. The reason for a pay increase is to keep up with your personal spending commitments which is why it's linked to inflation. I have seen my basic bills go up by over £100 a month before I even think of stepping foot inside of a Supermarket.
Also, as a key worker, I have worked throughout the Pandemic and to not be offered even a small pay award is an absolute kick in the teeth.
For the last 2 years, I've had in essence, a pay cut.
Plus they are always well above inflation rises, it's the old do as I say not do as I do with politicians. Imagine get all your travel plus expenses and a free 2nd home all paid for ontop of your salary.Just to play devil's advocate, are we all fine with MP's managing an almost annual pay rise then?
That’s the problem, whilst there’s highly valid arguments for drivers pay rates to be near identical UK wide, would there be sufficient consensus on anything other than everyone adopting the highest paying TOCs wages.? Same in most industries harmonisation scenarios I presumeMy particular TOC merged with two others 17 years ago & we are still on three separate contracts as none could agree on any form of harmonisation.
That argument starts to look rather hollow when the government has apparently been able to afford to pay people £30k per year for doing absolutely nothing. The money is there alright, it’s just a question of priorities.
Being realistic about something is not the same as being happy about it.
Surely it's the staff wanting the payrise who enforce revenue protection.Scotrail and transport scotland are saying there’s no money at the same time as not bothering to collect revenue.
There‘s barely any on board revenue collection and hardly a station has barriers. They are, in effect, running a free shuttle service for anyone who doesn’t want to pay.
When they start enforcing revenue collection people might be a bit more willing to listen to the claims of no money.