Like you guys my trainee has had enough of being at home and wants to get back and get his hours in. Every other industry has resumed work, seems like the unions just like kicking off for the sake of it, what they dont know is their members want to get back to work.
I agree that it seems like the union are kicking off for the sake of it, which does seem the norm these days. It does seem at times that we’re overlooked as trainees and they’re not taking our interests on board. We pay our subs too, so the unions should also take our interests in to account.
If it's any consolation it's not just trainees in this position. Road learning and traction training has stopped at many (all?) TOCs and there are qualified drivers awaiting a ride out for various reasons (PQA, after fatality etc) who are stuck at home wanting to work but unable due to ride outs currently being binned.
It's a crap situation you find yourself in but you're not in it because you're a trainee per se.
Just amazing!
I'm just watching the news and a scientist advising government says the best way of preventing the transmission of covid is when people stay apart, as new restrictions are put in place around the country and concerns for increasing covid cases.
Trade Unions which were established to defend working people against unscrupulous practice, which Includes the Heath and safety of their members, are accused on here of not acting in their members interests in wanting to ensure that two people working in a confined space are safe because they want a totally safe system of work to keep people safe.
Sure it's been a tough time for many, and some trainees so desperately wanting to be productive (aka getting qualified salary) should be grateful they've been fully employed on 100% pay siting at home while other members of front line staff, earning less than a trainee driver wage, have reported for duty and been exposed to the virus through this period.
Without trade Unions, there would be no health and safety at work rules, there would be no risk assessment done to see if your work place was safe.
Without trade Unions, the likelihood is that trainees and instructors would have been forced into he cab together with no protection from day 1 in March, crew messrooms would have zero measures in place to socially distance and for spare crews to report from home.
Keep bashing trade Unions if you want, but no one else is out there defending your workplace.