Unite Network Rail Strikes Off

[Starmill]

Rail workers appear to be asking for less than the nurses, so that seems unlikely.

They're just using different baselines, in reality there isn't much difference.

 

[yorksrob]

They're just using different baselines, in reality there isn't much difference.

You'll have to explain that one to me.

 

[Starmill]

You'll have to explain that one to me.

The various healthcare unions are asking for rises based on pay levels approximately 12 years ago, before the cuts. The railway unions are asking for rises on current pay.

 

[yorksrob]

The various healthcare unions are asking for rises based on pay levels approximately 12 years ago, before the cuts. The railway unions are asking for rises on current pay.

That seems bizarre. I've only heard of pay settlements year on year.

 

[jayah]

I assume you think nurses and ambulance drivers are also on a “political campaign”? Or do you only parrot anti trade union propaganda when it comes to railway staff?



Your own personal wish list. Throwing more money into the useless, wasteful, inefficient NHS sounds like a terrible idea to me. Unless you can explain why an organisation that receives above inflation budget increases year after year is managing to do worse than ever before? As a tax payer I’d like to know why…

I’d also like to know why the NHS has recently recruited more nurses and doctors but is now treating fewer patients than before Covid. Is this down to Spanish practices in the health service? Perhaps their Ts and Cs need sorting out…



If an employer goes bust the employees simply lose their jobs. That has nothing whatsoever to do with redundancy and it’s absurd to conflate the two.

It is perfectly reasonable for a union representing guards to lobby for no compulsory redundancies. Especially when the role will continue to exist for many years to come, and the railway is generally short of operational staff.
Hence reductions in headcount can be managed by voluntary severance/redeployment etc.



So now you’re saying redundancy is a relief to workers “trapped” in jobs you don’t approve of

.

I must say this strikes me as a pretty vile thing to say at a time when some forum members are guards who are likely worried about their futures.



So why are nurses and paramedics on strike?!



The more informed members of the public will be able to work out that 700,000+ nurses will cost rather and have more serious consequences for borrowing and inflation than under 100,000 railway staff (its pretty clear that the government propaganda about public sector pay leading to inflation is nonsense - it’s expected to fall next year irrespective of modest pay settlements of the type that are being awarded).

You still don't seem to understand the nurses pay rise creates a ceiling for railway staff. That is reality, not my personal wish list.

Welcome to the public sector.

Inflation is only expected to fall because of public sector wage restraint or should they be constraint. If they matched RPI it would be a very different story.

High pay only really comes from productivity. Absolutely restrictive practices and blocking the efficient allocation of labour in the economy traps people in low paid, low value added roles. How much would railway workers be paid without 40 years of progress back and the headcount was 400,000? More productivity means more pay.

Redundancy is an integral part of economic progress, there is no incentive to innovate and improve if the employer can't get the benefits because they agreed to x years of no redundancies and have to employ people in non-jobs or totally unsuitable ones.

No redundancy is an absurd negotiation position that did not even exist in BR and should not be tolerated today. If a business fails redundancy will occurs IF it is does not continue as a going concern. The perception is the public sector cannot go bust, hence it is unique in being able to defy gravity and common sense in this respect.

Why does the NHS perform fewer operations with more staff and a higher budget? Because it is less productive, it is also an organisation worth less than the sum of its parts.

Interesting that productivity isn't part of their pay discussion - again poor productivity and the perception they need even more labour, will keep down their pay too.

 

[Silverlinky]

There are no contingency staff working on non-RMT strike dates (or shouldn't be as that isn't agreed with unions, understandable). Though that was attempted previously and removed immediately as not filling vacancies is not a reason to use contingency, filling such vacancies is wha resolves that kind of disruption.

Not sure why you think it's a strange state of affairs - contingency for guards role is well versed.
No such thing as contingency drivers, and no contingency DTCM/control to replace TSSA strikes.

Can't run trains without all three sets of positions covered. Not sure why that isn't comprehended.

I can tell you there is plenty of contingency working going on this week to cover for the overtime ban, and there will be contingency DTCM working when TSSA are out. Drivers and control i'll give you.

I guess I was just making the point that the grade and union taking the most action is actually having the least effect on the running of a train service of some sort.

 

[Mag_seven]

Looks like once again this strike thread has run its course as there is nothing much left to be said that hasn't been said already.

As usual if anyone has any queries re travelling due to any of the the forthcoming strikes / overtime bans then they can post in Trip Planning and Reports.

thanks all