Southern Rail STRIKE details

[Lincoln Imp]

I guess it all depends on the time of travel but I journeyed from Brighton to London Bridge on the 14th December (a driver strike day) and the 10:30ish Thameslink train was practically empty.

My daughter went from Preston Park by Thameslink at 7.25ish this morning. She said it was the fastest journey she'd ever had, possibly because there were no broken down Southern trains holding everything up.

 

[clarkey]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38562442

Angie Doll, who is Southern's passenger service manager, said: "Every opportunity our door is open to speak to the unions about finding a way to resolve this issue."


Wonder how much she got offered by the office to squeeze a door based turn of phrase into one of her vapid press releases?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

My view on last night's debate.

Interesting no dft rep (although huw merrimen did a good job of selling the govt line)
Interesting no aslef rep
Interesting that it was 3 v 1 on the panel blaming the union whilst audience seem more evenly split?
Union rep needs to work harder on presentation although must be clearly difficult to keep your cool when guy next to you is clearly lying (as was found out when union rep did get the opportunity to challenge back on something said, which on didn't happen often enough in the edited bits shown)
Clearly wouldn't trust lynch or Horton as far as I could throw them. Most sensible comments came from audience esp ex staff.
Why do media still seem to think southern issues are all to do with industrial action?

I know. On the ABC page we get lazy journos saying "can we follow you into work when the strike is on" Whats the story tho? Someone has arranged alt transport?

The answer is generally get yourself to London Bridge at 4pm on a NON strike day and watch the carnage unfold as delays and cancellations abound, deliberate short formations of carriages as people are packing in like sardines. Animals being transferred to slaughter houses get more rights re space. Thats the NEWS.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

To further my point this morning unadvertised until right at the last min a Brighton to Victoria direct train at 6.30am. Wasn't there yesterday on the timetables.

 

[coagulantwolf]

I am absolutely fed up of quotes like this:

"We've said to the unions, striking is not the answer here. Coming and sitting around the table, talking, listening and having an open adult conversation is what will bring this dispute to an end."

How many times have we heard from both sides 'lets talk about this'? And what happens every single time they talk? Absolutely nothing, no agreement made. So then they go away for weeks apart at a time and then suddenly come back to the table for a 'chat', which again amounts to absolutely nothing and repeat cycle.

Infuriates me when they make quotes like this! Get in a room and you CAN NOT leave said room till agreement is in place. You can not see your kids, family etc, you will pay 50p every time you need the loo and the room will either be too hot (or too cold). Oh, and the room will barely fit you all in. THEN they might actually come to an agreement.

 

[dazzer6666]

Apologies first as this is probbaly fixtures around pages 400.

A practical question - I need to get to Kings Cross and back tommorow, I see the Thameslinks are down as running, will they get me there and back and will it be like the football terrace circa 1979, squashed in and my feet not touching the ground.

Thanks for any first hand experinece of traveling Thameslink on this route on a strike day.

As others have said, time of day is the key. Very early morning is generally Ok, and after 9/9.30am will be as well. Returning, you'll also be ok as you'll be getting back on North of the masses travelling south who mostly pick up the Thameslink trains in the city (especially Blackfriars and City Thameslink stations).

Loads of commuters I know have basically given up trying to get into London on strike days (those that are lucky enough to have the flexibility to do so) so the trains aren't as bad as they could be.

 

[pasty]

To further my point this morning unadvertised until right at the last min a Brighton to Victoria direct train at 6.30am. Wasn't there yesterday on the timetables.

This really pisses me off. The 0630 is my usual train to Victoria, but during the strikes I'll be bolloxed if I can be bothered to get up at 4.30, get ready for work and haul my arse up to the station on the slight off chance there might be a train.

 

[Deadly Danson]

Not my words (taken from Facebook) but very true:

1. Introduce an inherently risk-laden system.
2. Have it approved by the "independent" safety body (no twisted wrists there, then!)
3. Ensure that the operational instructions place all liability upon those carrying out the procedure, and not upon those who introduced it.
4. Use your friends in the media to ensure that public perception of workforce opposition to the new practices is related to pay demands, inflexibility, or not living in the real world.
5. A performance-driven culture is essential to blur the boundaries between performance and safety. 99 times out of 100 it'll all be fine, and the operative will become accustomed to taking minor risks in order to achieve performance figures.
6. When the risks manifest themselves as accidents, blame the operative for being negligent. Ensure maximum press coverage over the party found to be guilty - i.e., the operative.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crim...-train-passenger-along-platform-a3436661.html

 

[beorhthelm]

As others have said, time of day is the key. Very early morning is generally Ok, and after 9/9.30am will be as well. Returning, you'll also be ok as you'll be getting back on North of the masses travelling south who mostly pick up the Thameslink trains in the city (especially Blackfriars and City Thameslink stations).

psst, get on at St Pancras if suitable, ahead of the City and Blackfriars mobs.

 

[Yoda]

I am absolutely fed up of quotes like this:

"We've said to the unions, striking is not the answer here. Coming and sitting around the table, talking, listening and having an open adult conversation is what will bring this dispute to an end."

The same, but on a different scale. How about if Southern had stopped pushing through DOO to begin with, ASLEF might have been a bit more reciprocal? It takes two to tango as they say.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Heard a good interview on The Today programme this morning with one of Southern's functionaries. The gist of the questioning was to press him on why the DOO initiative is so important that it justifies these consequences. There was no compelling or convincing response - just some waffle about investment in new trains.

What gets my own goat is when the official response is that 'customers have told us' that they want the guard's role re-defined. I'm guessing that if Southern customers were surveyed they'd say (to as near 100% as dammit) that they'd rather have trains that turned up, preferably on time i.e. no strikes.

It's come down to an arm wrestle between Southern and the unions and regardless of the rights and wrongs Southern have simply lost - surely?

 

[Deadly Danson]

Heard a good interview on The Today programme this morning with one of Southern's functionaries. The gist of the questioning was to press him on why the DOO initiative is so important that it justifies these consequences. There was no compelling or convincing response - just some waffle about investment in new trains.

What gets my own goat is when the official response is that 'customers have told us' that they want the guard's role re-defined. I'm guessing that if Southern customers were surveyed they'd say (to as near 100% as dammit) that they'd rather have trains that turned up, preferably on time i.e. no strikes.

It's come down to an arm wrestle between Southern and the unions and regardless of the rights and wrongs Southern have simply lost - surely?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087qh9h scroll to around 1hr 52 if anyone wants a listen.

 

[elninobonito]

Not looking forward to getting home. Its around this time I always dread looking at the National rail website.

My birthday today and I am going to battle to get on the 1740 from Blackfriars to Three bridges and then have two buses to catch to get back home! Should be home by 8!

Does anyone realistically think this will all be over soon....no neither do i!

 

[CHAPPERS]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087qh9h scroll to around 1hr 52 if anyone wants a listen.

Painful.

 

[ROSM]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087qh9h scroll to around 1hr 52 if anyone wants a listen.

I'm not sure that his comments about guards hiding away in compartments is either accurate or indeed likely to help the dispute to get resolved. It's almost as if they're trying to antagonise the staff whilst also looking to seem reasonable to the customers.

What surprises me about this is that despite a relatively poorly informed (and amenable) media, limitless supply of pr advice and media onslaught via the government, and a poor public attitude from the union when interviewed, southern still fails to land a knockout blow that turns the majority of commuters against the industrial action and pro southern

 

[Napper]

I'm not sure that his comments about guards hiding away in compartments is either accurate or indeed likely to help the dispute to get resolved. It's almost as if they're trying to antagonise the staff whilst also looking to seem reasonable to the customers.

What surprises me about this is that despite a relatively poorly informed (and amenable) media, limitless supply of pr advice and media onslaught via the government, and a poor public attitude from the union when interviewed, southern still fails to land a knockout blow that turns the majority of commuters against the industrial action and pro southern

Why do they need a knockout blow . The guards have signed the contracts and DOO is being rolled out . On a timeline of support the public support started with the drivers and guards but now mostly don't care or have turned on them .

It's the guards and drivers that need knockout blows . Southern have played this perfectly considering how it could go if unions really went for the jugular

 

[Deadly Danson]

I'm not sure that his comments about guards hiding away in compartments is either accurate or indeed likely to help the dispute to get resolved. It's almost as if they're trying to antagonise the staff whilst also looking to seem reasonable to the customers.

No you're right, it isn't accurate. Furthermore and this needs spreading - the reason Southern gave for this whole change was that the OBS would be able to concentrate on helping passengers and not worry about being at the doors at each station. However, it is a FACT that the OBS (assuming the train has one which is less and less likely) now HAS to step out onto the platform at each station, check that no one needs assistance before the driver can close the doors thus nullifying Southern's stated aim (not that anyone believed them). They may as well just shut the doors safely whilst they are at it.
Oh and another wheelchair passenger apparently left behind at Pevensey and Westham on Saturday night as no OBS.

 

[ROSM]

Why do they need a knockout blow . The guards have signed the contracts and DOO is being rolled out . On a timeline of support the public support started with the drivers and guards but now mostly don't care or have turned on them .

It's the guards and drivers that need knockout blows . Southern have played this perfectly considering how it could go if unions really went for the jugular

Interesting you think the majority either don't care or turned against them. The people I commute with seem to still complain most about the govt and the company.

 

[Yoda]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087qh9h scroll to around 1hr 52 if anyone wants a listen.

Hahaha! "State of the art trains" What? The one's that are 15 years old already? How much has digital camera quality and clearness come on in the last 15 years?

 

[Napper]

Interesting you think the majority either don't care or turned against them. The people I commute with seem to still complain most about the govt and the company.

And they are right to.

By not caring I mean general apathy to whose at fault and just want it resolved Now .

I'm just going by what I hear and see .