[News] Braking news - more train strikes over the Christmas period announced

[zefarelly]

public transport in this country is embarassing on a good day.

I said some years ago, I would not employ someone who relied on public transport to get tot work as they would not be reliable/punctual . . . Through no fault of their own.

car sales, new and used, are up . . . Tree huggers will be delighted

 

[Saunders]

It’s not really automation though is it, it’s self service. Which I don’t really see as a big issue, as for at least 10 years I’ve been able to get better info myself rather than anyone working on the rail network

oh it is or it increasingly will be. Notice all the chat bots you get now online when wanting help rather than a telephone number? Tip if you want to talk to a human type Agent, it works on a lot of them.

 

[Springal]

oh it is or it increasingly will be. Notice all the chat bots you get now online when wanting help rather than a telephone number? Tip if you want to talk to a human type Agent, it works on a lot of them.

It’s to broad a statement , but if it’s well built it’s infinitely better than most phone agents can manage for many things.

And buying your own train ticket on your phone or ticket machine is infinitely better than anything that involves queueing for a human(s)

 

[Saunders]

It’s to broad a statement , but if it’s well built it’s infinitely better than most phone agents can manage for many things.

And buying your own train ticket on your phone or ticket machine is infinitely better than anything that involves queueing for a human(s)

yep and less employees and that is one of the things the union is fighting against. As I said other industries are just doing it.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

They are earning what the rest of the country are earning and even the lower paid jobs are pretty good comparatively. The worst would be the ticket office roles and see how that compares to other ticket office jobs in the country.

I hear this sort of thing everywhere. What does it mean? If some workers are badly paid - all workers should be badly paid? Because some people are massively exploited then everyone should be massively exploited?

 

[drew]

Might effect the trains to the Southampton game ..

What trains, it's boxing day!

 

[Springal]

yep and less employees and that is one of the things the union is fighting against. As I said other industries are just doing it.

If you can be replaced by a machine then you should probably change career. The notion of paying someone to do something you can do yourself is ridiculous.

People use supermarkets as an example but the service is infinitely better now and actually they’ve increased jobs with click / collect, home deliveries etc.

 

[Saunders]

9If you can be replaced by a machine then you should probably change career.

People use supermarkets as an example but the service is infinitely better now and actually they’ve increased jobs with click / collect, home deliveries etc.

You have no idea how many jobs can be replaced by machine (AI) though we are approching the cashless society point where we will not have enough jobs for the population. The arrogant stance of it is low skill jobs just isnt true highly skilled work such as welding is replacable. Customer services has been targeted recently it will move on from there. If you really think supermarkets are employing more staff then no, they are not. A lot are moving to the Aldi/lidl models where less staff and better efficiency.

 

[Springal]

You have no idea how many jobs can be replaced by machine (AI) though we are approching the cashless society point where we will not have enough jobs for the population. The arrogant stance of it is low skill jobs just isnt true highly skilled work such as welding is replacable. Customer services has been targeted recently it will move on from there. If you really think supermarkets are employing more staff then no, they are not. A lot are moving to the Aldi/lidl models where less staff and better efficiency.

How do you explain employment rates being at an all time high ? And of course supermarkets are. I guarantee the Tesco in Worthing has more staff now than it did 15 years ago with the same store.

 

[maresfield seagull]

Are the RMT paying their members to strike?

Nope

 

[maresfield seagull]

How do you explain employment rates being at an all time high ? And of course supermarkets are. I guarantee the Tesco in Worthing has more staff now than it did 15 years ago with the same store.

Really ? This *guarantee you speak of ?
care to expand
with self service tills
I don’t see how one person covering 8 or more tills equates more staff When it used to be 1 per aisle / till

 

[Springal]

I agree, the service is infinitely better

Until it isn’t - then it’s very hard to speak to a human being! Same with all online services - the more technology replaces humans (because AI is cheaper and more efficient) the harder it will become for customers to get personalised support. The worst thing that’s ever happened in customer service provision is when contact centres took over and now you invariably end up speaking to someone in India who’s reading a company response sheet back to you instead of having a conversation!

Having dealt with British Airways quite a lot the last few years , who have crap self-service and rely on phone agents - mainly UK based I couldn’t disagree more !

 

[Springal]

Really ? This *guarantee you speak of ?
care to expand
with self service tills
I don’t see how one person covering 8 or more tills equates more staff When it used to be 1 per aisle / till

Overall - online shopping, home deliveries, click collect etc. They improved efficiency and built other services with the saving.

 

[maresfield seagull]

Overall - online shopping, home deliveries, click collect etc. They improved efficiency and built other services with the saving.

Ok fair point well made
the unseen not on the shop floor

 

[Weststander]

Talks have hit the buffers.

Don’t derail this thread

 

[Zeberdi]

Having dealt with British Airways quite a lot the last few years , who have crap self-service and rely on phone agents - mainly UK based I couldn’t disagree more !

I was agreeing with your point that the service is better with online orders/deliveries etc I am totally reliant on online delivery and they are brilliant -


However, when things go wrong (especially with utilities for example) it’s very difficult to sort it online via chat bots or phone - I’ve literally spent a week going backwards and forwards to BT because of a fault with my internet last year. It is definitely getting harder to resolve issues when they go wrong.

Edit - the point being is I wouldn’t like to see rail staff replaced with fully automated services when it comes to passenger assist, it’s crucial for people with disabilities that the trains are physically manned.

 

[maresfield seagull]

It’s to broad a statement , but if it’s well built it’s infinitely better than most phone agents can manage for many things.

And buying your own train ticket on your phone or ticket machine is infinitely better than anything that involves queueing for a human(s)

Nope
Not In my recent experience
machines can’t replace a faulty ticket for a start

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It’s to broad a statement , but if it’s well built it’s infinitely better than most phone agents can manage for many things.

And buying your own train ticket on your phone or ticket machine is infinitely better than anything that involves queueing for a human(s)

If it is simple and works. This is not the case for me and my requirements ( cheapest ticket is .

Make the system work and I'm all ears.

I’m getting fed up with all these strikes tbh - I don’t drive, and on a low income. I have had to repeatedly fork out for taxis over the past 6 mnths to get to alternative stations while travelling including when trying to get to the Amex from Norfolk and ended up missing one game I had a ticket for as well as being unable to get to one’s I wanted to.

I’ve had to pay out for taxis (on top of the cost of my rail tickets) to get to alternate station connections when one I would normally use has suspended services or excessive delays when travelling post strike days. More worrying is I’m also totally dependent on trains to get to my hospital appointments - several of which I’ve had to cancel (including having to wait another 2 weeks for urgent treatment in one instance) I have 4 hospital appointments between 12-22nd December one of which is a cancer check up which depend on trains running- all of which will be impacted and may need to be cancelled until after the new Year. If I am well enough, Im also supposed to be travelling to London on 22nd and returning on 26 which is also looking increasingly problematic!

I do have some sympathy for the rail workers and realise it’s not just about pay but all these strikes impact more heavily on people that don’t have alternative transport, who live in semi-rural areas, are on low income themselves and/or have disabilities.

Incidentally at rural stations, there are no open ticket office or manned stations for the bulk of the time anyway- you have to phone ahead for assisted travel if needed and if you are lucky, may get help from the conductor on the train ((if there is one).

I sometimes wonder if the people criticising others for not having enough sympathy for the railway workers are the same people bearing the brunt of the disadvantages when there are no trains running?

Rant over.

Unfortunately, once strikes are banned, 'free collective bargaining' is over. Then we will have recapitulated 19th century indentured servitude.

As for that, I'm out.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

same as everywhere except the rest of us cant strike because we have no union

You can join one. You don’t have to have one organised at work. Just contact one and set up a direct debit.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Yea its not your fault except that it was your choice but how about affecting business hours of transport how about not doing it at christmas time.

Drawing public attention to the conditions is part of the plan.

The nurses are struggling due to the fact the government says there’s no money for them.
Why? Because all the faulty PPE, and money paid out has been added to the NHS budget. The government can truthfully say, they’ve funded the NHS, when, in truth, it’s been siphoned off to mates, and useless equipment.

Then, today Nadhim Zawahi has told the nurses, they’re helping Putin by striking.

Words fail me.