Southern Rail STRIKE details

[Boys 9d]

If this has already been posted and I have missed it apologies.
I understand that one of the issues to this dispute is that the driver would be responsible for closing doors before the train moves off. There has been comments that this is standard on the Underground. I note that last week there were delays to those services at above ground stations where drivers were unable to see down the platforms due to the sun being reflected in the on platform mirrors. I don't think many Southern stations are underground.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Can you imagine if Southern was a public body delivering a service? Like, say, a hospital trust or a school? They would already be in special measures, management would have been replaced, the unions reigned in and everyone in the world would understand that they were indeed in the last chance saloon.

I'm not particularly one for nationalising things willy-nilly (I can still remember inefficient nationalised industry and 33% income tax), nor am I one for surviving only on targets and league tables (unless it's football) but surely the way this SHITHOUSE company is acting is proof, if ever it was needed, that privatising the railways was folly?

 

[wellquickwoody]

Peter Kyle is a prize PLUM, I wrote to him last week and he hasn't a clue and still won't support the Conductors or condemn the way they're being treated

Peter Kyle is the acceptable face of Labour. Until you realise that the far left like Corbyn and co do not get the electoral juices going for the vast majority of the electorate then Labour will be forever in opposition. But then you guys want that don't you, it is less challenging to snipe from the sidelines than to actually do something?

 

[GreersElbow]

I'm not particularly one for nationalising things willy-nilly (I can still remember inefficient nationalised industry and 33% income tax), nor am I one for surviving only on targets and league tables (unless it's football) but surely the way this SHITHOUSE company is acting is proof, if ever it was needed, that privatising the railways was folly?

I was fortunate to be born after privatisation; however, one would imagine that surely nationalised railway would have been better than the current situation. Though I agree, in the broadest sense of nationalising things willy-nilly. Some industry is a natural monopoly....

We know the tories wouldn't nationalise the railway, though I could see a temporary nationalisation of steel industry and a series of reforms to try (will be unsuccessful due to Chinese steel dumps on the international market) and make it more efficient. However, if smaller areas were nationalised then a QUANGO set up to run these services in a localised manner, as in, the districts they serve then we could see greater efficiencies. Seeing as GTR operates multiple networks, it's certain that inefficiencies will arise. A local service for local people, with local investment to improve safety and efficiency with a knock-on effect of generating more skilled jobs in the region.

If only......

 

[ManOfSussex]

Drivers have voted yes for a strike, will have to wait until tomorrow as gtr are taking them to court to try to get it overturned

http://www.aslef.org.uk/information/100012/144378/aslef_drivers_vote_to_strike/

 

[Ernest]

http://live.rmt.netxtra.net/news/rmt-slams-disgraceful-southerngtr-press-report/

 

[ManOfSussex]

4 Conductors out of a roster of 116 at Brighton sick at the moment and none can be put down to going sick deliberately, even better last week was Southern cancelling the 1646 to Tattenham Corner for not having a Conductor when there hasn't been one on a train there for 30 years.

They are cancelling trains for no other reason now to piss off the travellers and try to prove the point it is all the Guards fault.

That does sort of explain the miraculous appearance of a full match day service last week.

 

[Ernest]

Peter Kyle is the acceptable face of Labour. Until you realise that the far left like Corbyn and co do not get the electoral juices going for the vast majority of the electorate then Labour will be forever in opposition. But then you guys want that don't you, it is less challenging to snipe from the sidelines than to actually do something?

Peter Kyle is the UNACCEPTABLE face of Labour, a NEW Labour FAILURE sitting sniping on the sidelines rather than show LOYALTY to the members and the leader THEY chose

 

[Titanic]

Peter Kyle is the UNACCEPTABLE face of Labour, a NEW Labour FAILURE sitting sniping on the sidelines rather than show LOYALTY to the members and the leader THEY chose

... pretty much the only reason he got elected. Please carry on hounding people like him out of the Labour party

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Peter Kyle is the UNACCEPTABLE face of Labour, a NEW Labour FAILURE sitting sniping on the sidelines rather than show LOYALTY to the members and the leader THEY chose

I always thought the Unions were a tad simple but I guess you've now confirmed it. It would appear that the Unions would prefer that Labour were unelectable rather than have a chance of a pro-union government.

 

[Cosmic Joker]

On Friday evening SASTA cancelled the last two trains eastbound from Havant, without apparently providing any alternatives for passengers. I was returning to Chichester from London by way of the SWT service through Guildford, as were several others. The trains cancelled were 23:15 Portsmouth to Littlehampton (23:36 at Havant) and 23:12 Southampton to Barnham (23:53 at Havant). To add insult to injury they also cancelled an eastbound train and then ran it empty with both driver and guard to Littlehampton without taking stranded passengers to stations along its route. At the time we thought it was the 23:53 being taken out empty, but I've since pieced together what happened from realtime trains website.

People had to get their own taxis, managed to get a share of four, paid £10 each to get to Chi, then the guy who needed Barnham had to pay another £20 to continue. I hope he got a receipt at the end. Southern need to be a lot more careful with last trains of the night, as this is a contractual obligation to get people home, even if there is some delay.

 

[DFL JCL]

07:01 from Preston Park to City Thameslink was cancelled today, then breezed through the station on time without stopping! I can only assume that this is the "cameras on board weren't working" issue. Basically no guards/conductors on board the thameslink trains. Several times now the cameras that they use to look at the platform before pulling away have broken. When this happens they can't stop at a station where the platforms are unmanned. A fabulous advert for taking guards and conductors off of trains.

 

[albionite]

http://www.southernrailway.com/mobile/news/southern-responds-to-aslef-ballot-result/

More spin, amusing how they keep putting the unions don't want to talk. Are they really kidding anyone?

 

[Ernest]

http://www.southernrailway.com/mobile/news/southern-responds-to-aslef-ballot-result/

More spin, amusing how they keep putting the unions don't want to talk. Are they really kidding anyone?

No point in talking when Southern aren't willing to budge

 

[Buzzer]

07:01 from Preston Park to City Thameslink was cancelled today, then breezed through the station on time without stopping! I can only assume that this is the "cameras on board weren't working" issue. Basically no guards/conductors on board the thameslink trains. Several times now the cameras that they use to look at the platform before pulling away have broken. When this happens they can't stop at a station where the platforms are unmanned. A fabulous advert for taking guards and conductors off of trains.

I was on that train from Brighton and they did say that they couldn't stop at the unmanned stations so it was fast to H Heath, I didn't exactly catch the reason why but it would appear that you're spot on.

 

[beorhthelm]

No point in talking when Southern aren't willing to budge

and neither are the unions, or are they open to an offer? more pay for transitioned guarded and drivers on services with driver operated doors?

 

[DFL JCL]

I was on that train from Brighton and they did say that they couldn't stop at the unmanned stations so it was fast to H Heath, I didn't exactly catch the reason why but it would appear that you're spot on.

Not optimistic on the delay repay front either as RecentTraintimes.co.uk suggests that the train i saw hurtle passed did in fact stop!

 

[Deadly Danson]

and neither are the unions, or are they open to an offer? more pay for transitioned guarded and drivers on services with driver operated doors?

Nope - I don't think many drivers would be open to a payment offer. This is a safety issue not a monetary one. I suspect this may well be GTRs next line of attack - speaking for myself, if they offered me £10,000 more I still wouldn't be interested as DOO is still not as safe as a train with a guard. I would ask in this day and age when safety is the number one priority and more and more people are using the trains, why would any company not do everything they can to make passengers more safe rather than as safe or less safe. Reason - profits.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Nope - I don't think many drivers would be open to a payment offer. This is a safety issue not a monetary one. I suspect this may well be GTRs next line of attack - speaking for myself, if they offered me £10,000 more I still wouldn't be interested as DOO is still not as safe as a train with a guard. I would ask in this day and age when safety is the number one priority and more and more people are using the trains, why would any company not do everything they can to make passengers more safe rather than as safe or less safe. Reason - profits.

An unexpected response given one of the arguments is that changing the role is the first step to scraping it. So if GTR guaranteed the new role wouldn't be scraped would you agreed to stop striking ?

 

[Deadly Danson]

An unexpected response given one of the arguments is that changing the role is the first step to scraping it. So if GTR guaranteed the new role wouldn't be scraped would you agreed to stop striking ?

I don't quite understand your question. The new role means most trains would be DOO - i.e the guard would have no safety critical responsibility at all (if they are even onboard) so no, I would never support that. The only way that GTR could appease drivers and guards would be if they guaranteed that every train that currently has a safety critically trained guard would retain one in the future.