Further RMT strike action Friday 2 June

[Magdalia]

Teams work by consensus, and that comes from leadership.

And anyone who manages a team of people has to be able to do that.

 

[Ianigsy]

There's no "RMT" or "Aslef" in "Teamwork". Yet a complex industry like the railways can only function, and can only attract customers, if the team works. The taxpayer is on the hook for an inordinate amount of money to keep the railways afloat until after the next election. Labour might win, and the railways might get nationalised, so goodbye high wages RMT/Aslef. Or the Tories might scape though, and they will have their revenge. Lots of closures. Does anyone win? Is there ANY upside for the RMT and Aslef members for their strike days? I don't think so.

Equally, if the polls don’t improve within the next year, there’s an incentive for the Tories to allow the RDG to settle and let an incoming Labour government find the money and deal with the headlines about fare increases.

 

[weeklycommuter]

The following RMT ballot results are clearly a mandate for further strike action at the TOCs listed as in every case over 50% of those eligible voted for further strike action but I am not sure that it is overwhelming at every TOC. The GTR ballot was 1130 yes of 2287 eligible to vote or 52%. The views of those who did not vote are unknown. The Island Line ballot is not in the table in the RMT press release as only 14 out of 38 eligible voted for a mandate for strike action though there could presumably be action short of a strike.

DEFEND JOBS, PAY & CONDITIONS – SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY (ISLAND LINE)

www.rmt.org.uk

RMT members overwhelmingly back further strike action

RAIL union RMT announced the results of a re-ballot of members working for 14 train operating companies today which massively re-affirmed a mandate for further strike action.

www.rmt.org.uk

Company	Eligible to Vote	Votes Cast	Turnout	Voting Yes	Voting No	Spoilt Papers	% of Actual Votes
Avanti West Coast	2021	1539	76.15%	1474	62	3	95.96%
C2C	104	61	58.65%	58	3	0	95.08%
Chiltern Railway	270	184	68.15%	171	13	0	92.93%
Cross Country	857	654	76.31%	627	26	1	96.02%
East Midlands Railway	773	543	70.25%	494	49	0	90.98%
GTR	2287	1298	56.76%	1130	159	9	87.06%
Great Western Railway	2701	1892	70.05%	1684	206	2	89.01%
Greater Anglia	1061	697	65.69%	626	69	2	89.81%
LNER	1843	1284	69.67%	1184	99	1	92.21%
Northern Trains	3320	2456	73.98%	2264	188	4	92.18%
SE Trains	1600	1091	68.19%	964	125	2	88.36%
South Western Railway	2149	1302	60.59%	1133	168	1	87.02%
Transpennine Express	535	384	71.78%	356	28	0	92.71%
West Midlands Trains	1369	990	72.32%	926	61	3	93.54%

 

[Jimbob52]

It will take many years to repair the damage of these strikes. Passengers sucked up several years of fare increases to pay for "investment" and now find their trust was unwarranted.

The subsidies are now so high that the "Luxembourg solution" might become viable. Which is: stop collecting fares. It isn't worth the bother. Run the railways as a free service, and pay RMT and Aslef members as though they are charity workers.

Do you mean ‘not pay RMT and Aslef workers at all’ ?

 

[dk1]

It will take many years to repair the damage of these strikes. Passengers sucked up several years of fare increases to pay for "investment" and now find their trust was unwarranted.

The subsidies are now so high that the "Luxembourg solution" might become viable. Which is: stop collecting fares. It isn't worth the bother. Run the railways as a free service, and pay RMT and Aslef members as though they are charity workers.

As long as we get a decent pay increase as ‘charity workers’ (whatever that is) then happy days.

 

[Snow1964]

The RMT aren't striking on any day but the Friday.

Unfortunately, there's a body of evidence that goes against your argument there - there's been (granted, often only slight) movement towards the RMT's goal after almost every round of strikes.

That's the problem, after every round of strikes, not a single one day strike, might get a minuscule concession.

Loose 3 or 4 days pay, get tiny fraction nearer, at this rate to get another 2 or 3 percent, might need to lose another month or twos pay.

Oh whoppee, on third (or is it fourth) mandate now, and the dispute hasn't been won by RMT to their satisfaction, so RMT continues same snail pace negociating nudge.

 

[Kite159]

.

The following RMT ballot results are clearly a mandate for further strike action at the TOCs listed as in every case over 50% of those eligible voted for further strike action but I am not sure that it is overwhelming at every TOC. The GTR ballot was 1130 yes of 2287 eligible to vote or 52%. The views of those who did not vote are unknown. The Island Line ballot is not in the table in the RMT press release as only 14 out of 38 eligible voted for a mandate for strike action though there could presumably be action short of a strike.

DEFEND JOBS, PAY & CONDITIONS – SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY (ISLAND LINE)

www.rmt.org.uk

RMT members overwhelmingly back further strike action

RAIL union RMT announced the results of a re-ballot of members working for 14 train operating companies today which massively re-affirmed a mandate for further strike action.

www.rmt.org.uk

Company	Eligible to Vote	Votes Cast	Turnout	Voting Yes	Voting No	Spoilt Papers	% of Actual Votes
Avanti West Coast	2021	1539	76.15%	1474	62	3	95.96%
C2C	104	61	58.65%	58	3	0	95.08%
Chiltern Railway	270	184	68.15%	171	13	0	92.93%
Cross Country	857	654	76.31%	627	26	1	96.02%
East Midlands Railway	773	543	70.25%	494	49	0	90.98%
GTR	2287	1298	56.76%	1130	159	9	87.06%
Great Western Railway	2701	1892	70.05%	1684	206	2	89.01%
Greater Anglia	1061	697	65.69%	626	69	2	89.81%
LNER	1843	1284	69.67%	1184	99	1	92.21%
Northern Trains	3320	2456	73.98%	2264	188	4	92.18%
SE Trains	1600	1091	68.19%	964	125	2	88.36%
South Western Railway	2149	1302	60.59%	1133	168	1	87.02%
Transpennine Express	535	384	71.78%	356	28	0	92.71%
West Midlands Trains	1369	990	72.32%	926	61	3	93.54%

Is there any comparison to the eligible to vote figures from before the current dispute, in how many rail staff decided to quit the RMT? Similar to the Network Rail employees which lost a couple of thousand members between the start and the vote to accept the deal?

But maybe this time things will be different... after all Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

 

[43066]

Circulated on news outlets and here on RMT’s website

“18 May 2023
RMT Press Office:
RMT members working for the 14 train companies in the national rail dispute will walkout on Friday June 2.
The union found the RDG’s previous offer and associated conditions unacceptable and despite contact between the parties since the strike on 13 May, no new proposals have been formulated for the RMT to consider.
The strike on June 2 will see 20,000 railway workers in catering, train managers and station staff all take action, affecting train services throughout the country.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The government is once again not allowing the Rail Delivery Group to make an improved offer that we can consider.
"Therefore, we have to pursue our industrial campaign to win a negotiated settlement on jobs, pay and conditions.
"Ministers cannot just wish this dispute away.
"They underestimate the strength of feeling our members who have just given us a new 6-month strike mandate, continue to support the campaign and the action and are determined to see this through until we get an acceptable resolution.
"The government now needs to unlock the RDG and allow them to make an offer that can be put to a referendum of our members."

Good to see. As noted above, resolve has been underestimated, hence the need to continue to take a firm stand.

Also encouraging that ASLEF are (finally) applying a little more pressure; the overtime ban has had a significant effect and could well be the sign of things to come.

 

[shawmat]

Do you mean ‘not pay RMT and Aslef workers at all’ ?

Some charity workers get paid. My point is that, with a free railway, RMT and Aslef would struggle to command top wages. There would be no money from fares to go after.

 

[43066]

with a free railway, RMT and Aslef would struggle to command top wages.

The ASLEF members earning £90k+
basic for mobile contracts at FOCs seem to be managing.

In a “free railway” the dispute would long since have been settled. It’s only able to continue because the government is bankrolling the loss of revenue with public money.

 

[dk1]

Some charity workers get paid. My point is that, with a free railway, RMT and Aslef would struggle to command top wages. There would be no money from fares to go after.

TfL seem to handsomely reward their excellent staff regardless. So glad after 38yrs & with a fab pension such things bother me very little nowadays.

 

[winks]

I can see 1 weekend every month being targeted by the RMT/ASLEF, especially with summer events on.

 

[43066]

TfL seem to handsomely reward their excellent staff regardless. So glad after 38yrs & with a fab pension such things bother me very little nowadays.

Indeed. It’s not as if it’s *that* much money either. The way some people talk you’d think we were on what premiership footballers are on!

£60-80k probably sounds like a lot if you’re on £25k but it isn’t a great deal considering all that comes with the job.

I can see 1 weekend every month being targeted by the RMT/ASLEF, especially with summer events on.

Possibly - on the ASLEF side I wonder if there might be any appetite for (say) a week long stoppage to really bring things to a head.

 

[ainsworth74]

Thank to you the OP for posting the new strike date however fundamentally nothing has changed and there is nothing new to actually discuss. There certainly isn't anything to discuss regarding ASLEF and driver wages on a thread about RMT strike action.

When future strike dates are annouced there will be scope for another thread and if there is movement on a deal, again, there will be scope for a new thread. But we're done here for this one. Thanks.