RMT Strike Action Thursday 20th, Saturday 22nd and Saturday 29th July 2023

[gazzaa2]

At what point do these strikes just become wallpaper to at least the leisure travelling public?
They'll tut, shake their head, take their refund and book a plane, coach or drive.
They'll try the train next time and if its not on strike, great, if it is...rinse and repeat

Utter waste of time. It's been 12 months now and the government genuinely don't care unless they did something truly drastic like everyone out until it's resolved.

 

[luvchocolate]

There’s an hourly bus from Huddersfield to Oldham, then a through-tram to East Didsbury and then a taxi or a bus to Stockport, if that’s useful?

Thank you..I checked the bus to Oldham but the first one gets there 11am which is a bit late for the rest of the journey.
I was very fortunate on Christmas day to pay £50 for the whole journey from Huddersfield to Cheadle.
The return journey with a taxi firm in Stockport I was quoted £120.
More expensive in better areas?

 

[jon0844]

Utter waste of time. It's been 12 months now and the government genuinely don't care unless they did something truly drastic like everyone out until it's resolved.

If the RDG steps back and the union can negotiate with the TOCs directly, things might be able to progress. Of course the Government is purposely digging in and hoping to grind everyone down (and not just the railway disputes).

 

[ChrisC]

I realise that because of the increase in the numbers being able to work from home, midweek strikes to hit commuters no longer have the impact they once did. Saturday is now the busiest day on many routes but it does seem a bit mean to strike on the 2 Saturdays at the beginning of the school summer holidays. This will hit many families, who through difficult financial times, will have saved up and looked forward to a much needed holiday. Also not to mention the already suffering businesses in the hospitality industry.

I’ve already had to cancel a holiday last month in the North of Scotland because of the last series of strikes. Like last summer I’m now going to forget travelling by train and now book some holidays in locations where I am quite happy to drive and take my car. Some people do not have the flexibility that I have.

 

[nw1]

You just get the impression that Mick Lynch loves wrecking peoples' holiday plans. He is nothing more than a selfish, self-centred oaf.

Is it Lynch, or is it the government?

I would probably say that Streynsham Hunt is a penny-pinching skinflint for refusing to make concessions to the union but I won't. Oops.. too late

 

[stjimmy87]

5% for this year and backdated and no changes to T&C's and I will sign happily and get on with it.

Why are the government and the powers not resolving this, what benefit does it have to them to make this go on and on?

 

[matthewjohnson]

Well, at least the Cribbs Premier Inn will get my custom on the 29th...on flex booking just in case circumstances change. (ie getting a lift or the strike being cancelled)

Unfortunately for the RMT, Winchester are now away to a team in Woking on the 22nd...which is perfectly doable from Alton by bus!

Another season of will I won't I get to such and such an away game, not bothering buying tickets until two weeks in advance, by which point they might all be gone. Fortunately home games are now at least doable with Grand Central and Hull Trains, as long as the dreaded Sky leave them alone of course

 

[MikeWM]

I realise that because of the increase in the numbers being able to work from home, midweek strikes to hit commuters no longer have the impact they once did. Saturday is now the busiest day on many routes but it does seem a bit mean to strike on the 2 Saturdays at the beginning of the school summer holidays. This will hit many families, who through difficult financial times, will have saved up and looked forward to a much needed holiday. Also not to mention the already suffering businesses in the hospitality industry.

Given the last tranche of strikes took out most of the half-term holiday, they do now seem to be (deliberately?) timing things to coincide with families trying to get away on holiday/family daytrips. I'm not at all convinced that's a good move, given the future of the railway looks to be more reliant on leisure travel than before.

I’ve already had to cancel a holiday last month in the North of Scotland because of the last series of strikes. Like last summer I’m now going to forget travelling by train and now book some holidays in locations where I am quite happy to drive and take my car. Some people do not have the flexibility that I have.

At this point I'm just giving the railway significantly less money annually that I was in say 2019, and at some point one of these strikes is going to stop me doing something I can't move to another day, and that may well be the straw that finally incentivises me to move to getting a car instead. (There's been a lot of such broken straws over the last few years, at some point it is going to be 'enough'). If others are doing the same...

 

[Silver Cobra]

5% for this year and backdated and no changes to T&C's and I will sign happily and get on with it.

Why are the government and the powers not resolving this, what benefit does it have to them to make this go on and on?

I’d imagine that no-one in the current government cabinet uses trains in their day-to-day lives, so they couldn’t care less if the dispute continues up to the next general election as it doesn’t affect them. If they really cared they would have made a more reasonable offer by now (which is why I blame the government more than the unions for this being dragged out).

So yet another year of my summer holiday plans being affected by strike action, and this time it’s even more so than last year. I have a journey booked from Arlesey to Weston Super Mare on the 21st, which is not a strike day itself, but it no doubt will have heavily disrupted services with being in between two strike days. I also have to travel to Great Yarmouth on the 29th, so likely have to turn to National Express again like last year (but this time I won’t have Thameslink available to at least get to Cambridge, so have to find an alternative way to get from Shefford/Arlesey to Cambridge).

 

[Drogba11CFC]

Another season of will I won't I get to such and such an away game, not bothering buying tickets until two weeks in advance, by which point they might all be gone. Fortunately home games are now at least doable with Grand Central and Hull Trains, as long as the dreaded Sky leave them alone of course

I'm still preparing for another season of bitterness and paranoia.

Given the last tranche of strikes took out most of the half-term holiday, they do now seem to be (deliberately?) timing things to coincide with families trying to get away on holiday/family daytrips. I'm not at all convinced that's a good move, given the future of the railway looks to be more reliant on leisure travel than before.

It just seems to be mean-spirited and spiteful, and then you get people telling us with great smugness that we should support our plans being messed up. I guess the lockdown and restriction lovers never went away.

 

[RHolmes]

That's happening already. All these strikes will achieve is cost RMT members another three days' wages to add to the 28 they've lost in the past twelve months.

There isn’t a single RMT member I’m aware of who has actually lost 28 days pay.

Due to the way rostering works most staff will lose 1/3 or 2/3 days to action. On some occasions I’ve personally even been able to make up some of the wage lose on strike days by working overtime on a nearby day (So I might lose the occasional 3am start on a Saturday and replace it with a 9am start on a Tuesday).

It barely even makes the news anymore.

It’s literally made pretty much every news outlet tonight, as well as featuring on digital channels such as DAB radio.

Sooner or later the government will just impose the changes the RMT could have negotiated and attempted to mitigate. It's Southern all over again

Hadn’t exactly worked so far has it? And neither union would agree to it.

My Granddaughter birthday was travelling from Huddersfield to Stockport..which is a nightmare on a weekly basis.
Now I'm looking at taxis both ways

There will be an hourly/two hourly service Hudds to Manchester from around 9am until 5pm as per the previous strike days. (Unless there’s TPRU engineering works)

 

[Facing Back]

Hadn’t exactly worked so far has it? And neither union would agree to it.

As I understand it, NR was in the process of imposing the changes to working practices and there is now an agreement with the RMT there

 

[Magdalen Road]

The problem is that the government haven't budged. Sooner or later the public will run out of patience.

My patience ran out long ago!

I think the public's perception of the strikes is worse than running out of patience. It's weary indifference, while the government couldn't care less. Plenty of trains will run on RMT strike days, passengers will make alternative arrangements if they need to, no new offer will be forthcoming... And the RMT will do it all again next month.

GTR does not run plenty of trains on strike days, nor on ASLEF overtime ban days. It is making getting to work very very difficult. As a season ticket holder, I can’t even get delay repay for those days either.

 

[156421]

As already stated, the members vote for strike action, not Mick Lynch.



This is satire, right?



Possibly, although I'm not convinced they will announce any more strikes until after the ASOS is finished which is July 8th. If that's the case then that should mean at least Friday 21st should be strike-free.

What is asos

 

[pokemonsuper9]

What is asos

(I'm pretty sure) Action Short Of a Strike, typically an overtime ban.

Not a full proper strike, but still a withdrawal of labour.

 

[12LDA28C]

What is asos

Action Short Of Strike, ie RDW/overtime ban.

(I'm pretty sure) Action Short Of a Strike, typically an overtime ban.

Not a full proper strike, but still a withdrawal of labour.

How is not working on your days off a withdrawal of labour?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

How is not working on your days off a withdrawal of labour?

Normally people would work on that day if they want, now they're not.

 

[luvchocolate]

There isn’t a single RMT member I’m aware of who has actually lost 28 days pay.

Due to the way rostering works most staff will lose 1/3 or 2/3 days to action. On some occasions I’ve personally even been able to make up some of the wage lose on strike days by working overtime on a nearby day (So I might lose the occasional 3am start on a Saturday and replace it with a 9am start on a Tuesday).


It’s literally made pretty much every news outlet tonight, as well as featuring on digital channels such as DAB radio.


Hadn’t exactly worked so far has it? And neither union would agree to it.


There will be an hourly/two hourly service Hudds to Manchester from around 9am until 5pm as per the previous strike days. (Unless there’s TPRU engineering works)

Oh thank you I had no idea...fingers crossed

 

[12LDA28C]

Normally people would work on that day if they want, now they're not.

You cannot 'withdraw your labour' on a day you are not rostered to work. You would simply be not volunteering to work overtime, as anyone is entitled to. If that affects train services then that is a result of the TOC not employing sufficient staff to run the service.

 

[RHolmes]

Oh thank you I had no idea...fingers crossed

If you do pursue the option of the limited train service, I’d recommend that you only use the train as far as Manchester and catch the bus from there to Stockport as the limited services heading to/from Stockport do get extremely busy!

 

[HOOVER29]

I feel for anybody trying to run a business or a tourist attraction which depends on rail passengers at the moment. I had tentative plans to treat myself to a couple of days on the West Highland that week, but the strikes mean that I’d probably have to break my journey in Glasgow or Edinburgh in both directions, which isn’t really affordable.

I’m just driving everywhere now.
I get there & back in comfort & with no annoying person next to me

 

[gazzaa2]

There isn’t a single RMT member I’m aware of who has actually lost 28 days pay.

Due to the way rostering works most staff will lose 1/3 or 2/3 days to action. On some occasions I’ve personally even been able to make up some of the wage lose on strike days by working overtime on a nearby day (So I might lose the occasional 3am start on a Saturday and replace it with a 9am start on a Tuesday).

I suspect this explains in part why it's always Saturdays they pick. Staff are often glad not to work them and then they have the option of midweek overtime to make up the lost pay.

I remember the Northern dispute a few years ago where the guards were on strike every Saturday and glad to miss the overcrowded trains and the Saturday drunks and made it up elsewhere.

 

[Tomp94]

The August bank holiday weekend are nailed on strike day/s.

 

[dk1]

I’m just driving everywhere now.
I get there & back in comfort & with no annoying person next to me

Why didn’t you always do that? Sounds preferable to yourself.

 

[142blue]

My Granddaughter birthday was travelling from Huddersfield to Stockport..which is a nightmare on a weekly basis.
Now I'm looking at taxis both ways

184
409
330

 

[Bevan Price]

Utter waste of time. It's been 12 months now and the government genuinely don't care unless they did something truly drastic like everyone out until it's resolved.

Yes - it is Thatcher v. Scargill version 2. Like it or not, the government has decided that the unions will not be allowed to win. Time to look into different tactics.

 

[weeklycommuter]

My patience ran out long ago!


GTR does not run plenty of trains on strike days, nor on ASLEF overtime ban days. It is making getting to work very very difficult. As a season ticket holder, I can’t even get delay repay for those days either.

I have noticed that GTR Southern services are severely reduced on ASLEF overtime ban days so I have to conclude that GTR Southern does not have enough train drivers and is still relying on drivers working overtime and rest days to deliver the timetable. Is there any other explanation?
I am puzzled as to why Thameslink and Great Northern cannot run a normal timetable on RMT strike days as the driver is the only member of staff on Thameslink and Great Northern trains and surely almost all drivers are in ASLEF not the RMT.
Clearly trade unions including the RMT represent the interests of their members not rail passengers. However there is no point in the RMT running a campaign to keep the guard on the train while taking industrial action. I assume this keep the guard on the train campaign must be aimed at persuading rail passengers as who else would care but the inevitable consequence of RMT industrial action is that it must persuade at least some rail passengers that they would be better off if the driver was the only member of staff on the train as the train service will then still run in the event of industrial action by the RMT. There is also no point in calling for guards to be put back on the many train services on which the driver is the only member of staff.
I assume the Island Line will be unaffected by RMT strike action as the RMT did not get the necessary number of votes for strike action in their latest ballot of Island Line members.

 

[HOOVER29]

I’ve actually done it for a fair while now.
CrossCountry robdogs wanted £600 return for 3 people from Burton on Trent to Devon last year

£50 tops return & considerably quicker by car

That’s why I also drive to Cornwall from where I’ve just returned.
Didn’t use the train once!
Drove 800 miles down there
Cost me £85 in fuel.

Christ knows how much it’d cost by rail to Newquay!

 

[Mat17]

Utter waste of time. It's been 12 months now and the government genuinely don't care unless they did something truly drastic like everyone out until it's resolved.

They settled with the barristers pretty quickly. Not the case with the transport workers, education or NHS - I suppose they're worth a clap. Don't ask for more money though or they say it'll stoke inflation. Yet inflation goes up without the payrises. So it must be the politicians payrises driving inflation?

The government are totally disingenuous on just about everything they do.

 

[HOOVER29]

Just ab

Yes - it is Thatcher v. Scargill version 2. Like it or not, the government has decided that the unions will not be allowed to win. Time to look into different tactics to post this.

Just about to mention this!
They didn’t bow in March 84-March 85 & they won’t this time!