The cost of living would naturally increase, of course. Not everyone should be on £55k +, that would be ridiculous. I mean, no disrespect to retail staff, but the skillset, training and responsibility for stacking shelves in Tesco isn’t exactly comparable to driving a train.
I've only really just come across this thread, and thought I'd add my own tuppence worth. As someone who has had considerable experience of working in retail I will agree that the skillset for someone who stacks the shelves in a supermarket is nowhere near comparable to that required to drive a train, but it's foolish to underestimate the skills of someone who you
perceive to be simply stacking shelves. I spent much of my time placing things on shelves, but at the same time I was ensuring that the shelves were at the correct height for the display, that there was enough stock to fill the display in the first place and that the display exactly matched the drawings that were send down from on high.
At the same time, you have to do your utmost to ensure that you're not over-stocking the shelves with stuff that you know won't sell (local knowledge trumps head office) while avoiding the wrath of the regional manager when they turn up and ask why a particular line isn't on the shelf. It's even more bloody frustrating when, three months down the line, those products end up on the "reduced to clear" section because nobody wanted to buy them, and the same regional
arsehole manager is demanding to know why your waste figures are so high!
Getting back on-topic,
@neilmc started the thread with what I believe to be a genuine question:
Discussing with a colleague this morning who said it was a travesty that train drivers are paid over twice what bus drivers are paid -bus drivers have to manoevre their vehicle in conflicting traffic whereas train drivers just have to know when and how to start and stop. I couldn't contradict her - is a loco cab and more complicated that a bus cab these days? Is it just comparative union strength which is responsible?
I see this post for what it is - a genuine question from a layman who has no experience in either job. I think the initial replies to this were rather disrespectful, to be honest. Until I joined this forum I had absolutely no idea what the job of a train driver involved and may well have asked "well, how hard can it be?" at some point in time. I didn't know about route knowledge, traction training or The Rules. I'd like to think I'm a bit better informed now.
I think we all need to take a moment to consider that many jobs involve some technicalities that aren't immediately visible to the casual observer. On the face of it, train drivers may only have to move a lever back and forward; supermarket staff only have to stick a jar of something on a shelf, but there are rules and regulations governing those activities and it's really frustrating to hear "all you have to do is this... a trained monkey could do it".
I'd love to see these armchair experts cope with a 100m checkout queue on the 24th December when you're due to finish your shift and the management have "accidentally" forgotten and there's no cover. There will be many train drivers, bus drivers and other service sector workers who have similar stories.
Let's just show a little respect, eh?
to your post