RMT vote 4 to 1 to strike over NR pay

[LNW-GW Joint]

TSSA strike called off, according to the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32832191

No news about the RMT action.

BBC update on TSSA: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32832191
The Beeb also said TSSA were facing a High Court action this afternoon over its ballot.

 

[westv]

TSSA strike called off, according to the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32832191

No news about the RMT action.

Excellent news. Let's hope the RMT call it off too.

 

[infobleep]

TSSA strike called off, according to the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32832191

No news about the RMT action.

BBC update on TSSA: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32832191
The Beeb also said TSSA were facing a High Court action this afternoon over its ballot.

Looks like it won't be so doom and gloom as the Guardian report suggested it would be.

I wonder if the newspaper editors/broadcasters would like a strike to go ahead so they can report on it all day long and write negative articles o RMT and perhaps even NR and the TOCs?

 

[Darren R]

Sky News are now reporting RMT action has also been called off. (Sorry, posting from my 'phone so I can't provide a link.)

 

[marks87]

http://news.sky.com/story/1488365/unions-suspend-planned-rail-strike

 

[Bodiddly]

Well, that's the managers union caved in. I hope for everyone who works on the railway's sake the RMT stand their ground a little bit more staunchly for the sake of the workers. I wonder if this 'revised offer' is a merely just a promise that Network Rail bully boy tactics won't tie them up in expensive legal proceedings at the High Court. If there are improved terms on the table, then there is hope yet for everyone concerned. I do hope they sort it out before Monday so my distant colleagues will not have to go through the pain and upheaval of strike action.

 

[antharro]

Sky News are now reporting RMT action has also been called off. (Sorry, posting from my 'phone so I can't provide a link.)

BBC News too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32832191

 

[Sanatogen]

The RMT have put up a post confirming.

http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/industrial-action-suspended21515/

 

[wensley]

Good news for all concerned to be fair. Nice to see all the hard work amending the service wasted for once!

 

[trainplan1]

Nice to see all the hard work amending the service wasted for once!

However me and I'm sure plenty of other planners have just banged their heads very loudly on the desk...

 

[sarahj]

However me and I'm sure plenty of other planners have just banged their heads very loudly on the desk...

Makes a change from planners making rail staff bang their heads against a train.


The 06.01 from BTN to LBG cannot get to London Bridge for 07.18 :roll:

 

[wensley]

However me and I'm sure plenty of other planners have just banged their heads very loudly on the desk...

More than likely! The Ops planning at our end has made for a very intense few days, always nice to have a challenge ... especially when it's ended with no pain for the customers

 

[radamfi]

Yes, the strike is nominally off, but the threat of the strike has already cost a lot in cancelled bookings, cancelled hotel rooms, rearranged plans and contingency plans. Far from no pain for the customer.

 

[wensley]

Yes, the strike is nominally off, but the threat of the strike has already cost a lot in cancelled bookings, cancelled hotel rooms, rearranged plans and contingency plans. Far from no pain for the customer.

There will certainly have been a revenue impact, however, at least passengers now have a full range of journey options!

 

[Clip]

Yes, the strike is nominally off, but the threat of the strike has already cost a lot in cancelled bookings, cancelled hotel rooms, rearranged plans and contingency plans. Far from no pain for the customer.

I don think people should've been so rash and should've held off for a day or two before cancelling anything.

 

[trainplan1]

Makes a change from planners making rail staff bang their heads against a train.


The 06.01 from BTN to LBG cannot get to London Bridge for 07.18 :roll:

Hey some of us try to prevent any heads being banged...

More than likely! The Ops planning at our end has made for a very intense few days, always nice to have a challenge ... especially when it's ended with no pain for the customers :

Indeed, we all need a big disruptive event now and then

 

[londonbridge]

Meant to post this earlier this morning but hadn't got round to it, so as the strike has been called off it's now largely academic! Anyway, I read a few days ago that Virgin were offering Preston supporters attending the play-off final at Wembley on Sunday a deal consisting of one night hotel and a return train ticket for £99 if they were willing to return home on Monday. Then I read this morning that all West Coast services for Monday and Tuesday had been cancelled!

 

[Tetchytyke]

I don think people should've been so rash and should've held off for a day or two before cancelling anything.

That's always the dilemma isn't it.

Of course people with AP tickets who booked coaches/flights are now going to be out of pocket...

I can mostly hear the fat cats at the TOCs banging their heads on the sides of their yachts. Just think of all that juicy Network Rail compensation they could have had. Now they're going to have to run a train service and pay Bank Holiday wages.

 

[jopsuk]

However me and I'm sure plenty of other planners have just banged their heads very loudly on the desk...

chalk it up as a good "live" exercise? About the only bit you miss out on is finding out if what you'd done would have worked smoothly.

 

[wensley]

chalk it up as a good "live" exercise? About the only bit you miss out on is finding out if what you'd done would have worked smoothly.

It was certainly a good experience to work through ... different to the norm!

You can't beat a bit of chaos

Four days of coralling football fans and bank holiday weeked drunks instead now!

 

[TheKnightWho]

I don think people should've been so rash and should've held off for a day or two before cancelling anything.

This. I'm travelling on both the Monday and Tuesday as part of a holiday, but wasn't going to start asking for refunds until the weekend. It's a good thing I didn't now!

This does make a good case for increasing the strike warning period to 10 days though. Although we did have more than 3 days left, it would have meant weekend negotiations which definitely aren't a given.

 

[ADRboy]

This does make a good case for increasing the strike warning period to 10 days though. Although we did have more than 3 days left, it would have meant weekend negotiations which definitely aren't a given.

Don't see how it does. Gives a case for NR not coming forward with derisory offers to their workforce though.

 

[TheKnightWho]

Don't see how it does. Gives a case for NR not coming forward with derisory offers to their workforce though.

Longer negotiation periods mean more chance of things being resolved. A week is very often not long enough.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Longer negotiation periods mean more chance of things being resolved. A week is very often not long enough.

But it isn't just a week though is it. The unions wouldn't have called a strike right away before any discussions / offers took place. There would have been talks / discussions / offers etc going on well before the strike was eventually called.

 

[infobleep]

It will be interesting to see what is new in the latest offer and why it took 4 days for this offer to be tabled. You'd think it might be possible table it much sooner.

However I've never been involved in this type of negotiation so I haven't a clue as to how it works and why it takes so long when the press releases that get issues afterwards only contain several paragraphs of the changes agreed.

 

[Robertj21a]

It will be interesting to see what the improved deal amounts to in real terms, presumably something quite significant if they have called off all action.

 

[TheKnightWho]

But it isn't just a week though is it. The unions wouldn't have called a strike right away before any discussions / offers took place. There would have been talks / discussions / offers etc going on well before the strike was eventually called.

Yes, but the reason it was portrayed as a good thing that the unions gave 10 days' warning not 7 is because there was more time for negotiations with definite strike action looming.

The whole point of the announcement is to change the nature of negotiations in the hope it'll be called off.

 

[Zoidberg]

That's always the dilemma isn't it.

Of course people with AP tickets who booked coaches/flights are now going to be out of pocket...

...

Virgin says folk can still get a refund. See this Twitter conversation:

https://mobile.twitter.com/VirginTrains/status/601426692113051648

To paraphrase 'cos I can't quote the exchange:

Virgin Tweets: Trains back to normal.

Question posed: Will you still refund people who cancelled activities when you cancelled services completely?

Virgin replies: If they no longer wish to travel and have made other arrangements, we will still refund their tickets

 

[sarahj]

It will be interesting to see what is new in the latest offer and why it took 4 days for this offer to be tabled. You'd think it might be possible table it much sooner.

However I've never been involved in this type of negotiation so I haven't a clue as to how it works and why it takes so long when the press releases that get issues afterwards only contain several paragraphs of the changes agreed.

This is how it goes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amZsdpLXcIo

 

[Tibbs]

Just had an email from TfL saying the strike's been suspended.