I think many of you overestimate the power of trades unions to change things. Much of the collaboration between Union and company is to the company's advantage, eg, collective bargaining. But essentially they are there to represent and defend their members as and when that help is needed, individually or collectively. They cannot pre-empt issues such as a sudden introduction of DOO, whether they saw it coming years ago or not. They can only respond IF there is an issue. With Southern the DOO agreement was for no more than ten cars, and Southern are attempting to go back on this. THAT is the issue they have to concentrate on.
They could explain the wider issues. But even on this forum, whose contributors have a higher than average knowledge of rail issues, it is almost impossible to truly create an understanding of why DOO has a poor reputation amongst front line staff. What chance does the union have with an ill informed public, an anti Union press, the company essentially lying whilst holding the position of power in the relationship and a government that is probably ill informed but happy to take any opportunity to cut rail subs and curtail Union power.
And cheap shots about 70s style press releases and grammar just shows how easy it is to be distracted from the wider issues. Yesterday I read on the BBC web site about a Unite dispute with Thomas Cook - no attempt to explain the issues involved, so the union just looks like troublesome bad guys.