It doesn't really feel like there is much of a future. Everything in life is slowly getting worse or going backwards, living standards, life expectancy, climate issues and now the threat of nuclear war has come back.
I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do anyway, there is hardly any money left after paying out for the essentials. I've already moved jobs three times in three years to get more money and every time costs go up to eat away any gains I've made.
All jokes and ‘digs’ aside, I really feel that you should be seeking a bit of professional help before it’s too late.
Things can get better, mine definitely did!
ar10642's view may appear extreme to some, as I'm guessing it did to you by your reply. But this really is how so many are suffering in wider society and amongst the bottom end of the wage spectrum during this cost of living crisis, the housing crisis, and with the tax hikes amongst the effect of the lockdowns and general cuts. There are a lot of young people feeling like that. I have relatives who are in teaching and they are telling me a lot of youngsters in education are suffering, the others are ok until they hit their early 20s, as they tend to live for today so to speak, but as soon as they realise it's minimum wage job after minimum wage job with poor insecure conditions and a quarter of a million to buy a family home, and anywhere south of Milton Keynes double, many are losing hope. If they want to rent, it's £1000 a month plus for six month insecure tenancies. Why else are we being told there's a mental health problem in society?
You seem to be missing what the prize is here for the government.
Closing ticket offices, getting DOO in almost all areas, reducing pension accrual, real terms pay cuts all reduce the costs of the railway and have a long term gain for the government.
Very fair point to make.
This has become political. The RMT are saying the operators and even network rail's hands are tied and they are ready to do the deal but are being held back. It's being reported the government are saying it's for the employers to negotiate and not them. So if it's not the govt holding the employers back from making an agreement, who is it? I predict the govt can only go so far with this idea of refusing to take part in the negotiations before the public demand they get it sorted.
At the same time good will with employees is likely in decline quite probably with no fault of the employers themselves, if it's being demanded they implement these measures. But whoever is demanding it seems to be distancing themselves from taking part in forming any final agreement. Very bizarre indeed.
What I will say is that many workers are frightened. They have done and are doing their job that they were taken on to do, on the terms their employer set. Suddenly the goalposts move and their futures are under threat, and the whole landscape of the railway is in question, and whether in the future it is a well staffed people railway or more towards automation and minimum people presence type environment.
Regarding the ticket offices, ok there's the arguement that they will be converted into lobby type areas with a staff member to help with the machines. But what size would a station need to be in order to mean that will happen and it won't simply become unstaffed?
If the whole exercise is about cost cutting to go towards the £600m saving from staffing, then logic could lead to the assumption that a great deal of smaller ticket offices will close with no assisted indoor ticket machine areas. Will rural or semi urban ticket offices which currently have a window facing outside be converted to have a reception area with machines and staff on hand?
If not then what about assisted passengers who currently have assisted travel, booked or unbooked at these stations? Who will put the ramps down to the trains, particularly if DOO is part of any deal and there wouldn't have to be a second member of staff on the train in order for it to run?
DOO again is a whole thing in itself. Mick lynch has said when the negotiators returned to the room one day, they began to discuss DOO as part of the settlement. If DOO is what the government want and was rolled out on as wider basis as equipment allows as quickly as possible this could fundamentally change the landscape of this railway forever. The fundamental change of currently having to have the second member of staff Vs not having to have them could eventually lead to more of a people-less railway in the future, and that is not necessarily something which is explained to the public. The public like staff to be available for help, emergencies, assistance, and to feel safe. Most staff understand that and feel a similar way.
I feel that most of the public do want to see staff on the railway. Some don't and would be more cost focused. But most do. Passenger surveys have shown this many times. And this will be the focus of a lot of workers too. It is also important that workers aren't put on new conditions for any or safety related work if these could lead to workers simply being run into the ground.
Mick lynch said that the railway wants to increase the working week to 40 hours and then the deal someone posted on this forum stated Sundays to remain extra but non optional. Sundays are often rostered 8 hours. Would it be fair to assume that would then mean a mandatory 48 hour week of shifts? I.e. Is this not the limit before the working time regulations kick in with anymore than that having to be optional? Let's not forget the railway week runs Sunday to Saturday, so one week of shifts often leads straight into another before someone actually gets a day off. Usually 7 days of shifts.
I'm just not sure how realistic that is doing safety related work week after week Vs what the railway is climatised to at the present time.
Most of the western world seems to be working towards a lower working week, not moving back to hours associated with the times of the pre 1980s.