All of which would be fine if anyone for a minute believed that large employers held off pay freezes / reductions until absolutely necessary.
However if you are the person finding your wage progressively getting worse against inflation, it is little consolation that your employer and/or share holders aren't turning the profit they would like. Far too often people turn these kinds of discussions into an envy argument, often saying that they have had to put up with freezes / reductions, so why shouldn't everyone else. But shouldn't people make their case? After all over the years many in the private sector have watched their pensions go south, wages increases slowed, stopped or even reduced, and for many terms and conditions worsened. And for what? Often just to keep shareholders happy in positive returns? Sooner or later there will be a tipping point in this country, people are already maxed out to death on personal credit, often suffering stagnating wages and increasing costs of living. This cannot go on.
What you are seeing with the TOC strikes is the tip of the iceberg. The RMT may often be way overzealous in the way it approaches these issues, but they are only picking up on what employees are feeling. We've already seen other areas such as cabin crews threatening action, and there are serious rumblings in areas like the NHS again. If you suppress wages for too long and cause increasing issues for employees, sooner or later this will result in malcontent.
I for one will be severely affected by any action Northern crews take, but I refuse to lower myself to slag them off for trying to make things better for themselves.
