Southern Rail STRIKE details

[Ernest]

Strange, I thought you told me that there was no increase in cancellations today? In any case, I only said that I was sure it was a co-incidence.

As for the protest, I'm at the other end of the country for two weeks after tomorrow but I wish all involved luck.

An increase in cancellations but not as you implied due to people going off just to watch the football

 

[Ernest]

Up to 319 cancellations today, shameful. How long will the government allow the passengers of Southern to be treated like this ?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Oh come on - be serious. If I put an anti Southern message out on the tannoy I'd be suspended faster than I can blink. Colleagues have been suspended for posting slightly inflammatory content on social media. But in any case, there are 115 pages of information for people to read on here, RMT put out press releases almost every day (many of which are on here) - whether the mainstream press carry the info is up to them, the guards have been striking and handing out flyers with the reasons, MPs have been written to over and over, there have been numerous blogs (again posted on here) on the situation and Aslef have been more or less silenced as a result of the court case (many local officers have had personal and work ipads, phones etc confiscated so they can investigate any anti-GTR content as a result of the high court ruling) and me and my colleagues have been telling the passengers our side (whilst having to be extremely careful what we say) to as many people as possible: all the time trying to concentrate on working a train safely, stopping at the correct places, opening the doors on the correct side etc etc etc.
Frankly it will be the angry passengers who will have to argue on our behalves because, as you can see, for all the strikes and disruption GTR are pressing ahead with their nonsense plans and only pressure by the public will bring an end to this.

It's definitely the passengers who should protest. Staff are being paid to run this crappy service. Passengers are paying 5k a year or £50 a day for it. It's Joe Public who's bending over complicitly.

Whatever happened to the commuters associations that used to exist. I'm sure London commuters all turning up at a London Terminus one lunchtime to simultaneously get symbolic delay repay claims processed in front of a few invited journos and cameras might ratchet up the pressure a bit.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Wow! C*nts are really turning the screw on the Coastway West line today. Getting from Brighton to Chi was like wading through a swamp of BS. Delays, cancellations, tube rush hour levels of overcrowding. Old dears with suitcases going on holiday, hobbling overweight blokes on zimmer frames, schoolkids by the hundred, baffled tourists, all helping each other out as best they could and being heart-breakingly civilised about the whole thing. I suspect most of them do not realise that the vicious swines in charge of Southern rail are absolutely REVELLING in their discomfort. Utterly shameful and unworthy of a supposedly First World country.

 

[Ernest]

Wow! C*nts are really turning the screw on the Coastway West line today. Getting from Brighton to Chi was like wading through a swamp of BS. Delays, cancellations, tube rush hour levels of overcrowding. Old dears with suitcases going on holiday, hobbling overweight blokes on zimmer frames, schoolkids by the hundred, baffled tourists, all helping each other out as best they could and being heart-breakingly civilised about the whole thing. I suspect most of them do not realise that the vicious swines in charge of Southern rail are absolutely REVELLING in their discomfort. Utterly shameful and unworthy of a supposedly First World country.

That should be an RMT press release

 

[Beach Hut]

May I ask then, what are you and your colleagues doing about the situation? Of course abuse like that cannot be condoned, but at the same time surely you cannot expect angry passengers to argue everything on your behalves?

Have you/your colleagues contacted media sources directly to broadcast your side of things? Most people I've spoken to are fully accepting that SASTA are talking crap, but at the same time the public at large are not really hearing anything from your side at all.

If nothing else, your trains all have tannoy systems and you have captive audiences to broadcast to and get your points across...perhaps that's an opportunity to get the truth out rather than, in most cases I hear, toeing the party line.

Quite shocked you posted that, does your company not have a social media policy as most do.

If I said something derogatory about the company I work for I would be disciplined accordingly as have many previously.

 

[Seasider78]

The irony with this situation is the case of passenger safety being everyone's prime concern when the number of cancellations is resulting in dangerously overcrowded platforms and trains. It is astonishing we have not had a serious incident yet and it feels like it is only a matter of time before one occurs

 

[Gwylan]

Wow! C*nts are really turning the screw on the Coastway West line today. Getting from Brighton to Chi was like wading through a swamp of BS. Delays, cancellations, tube rush hour levels of overcrowding. Old dears with suitcases going on holiday, hobbling overweight blokes on zimmer frames, schoolkids by the hundred, baffled tourists, all helping each other out as best they could and being heart-breakingly civilised about the whole thing. I suspect most of them do not realise that the vicious swines in charge of Southern rail are absolutely REVELLING in their discomfort. Utterly shameful and unworthy of a supposedly First World country.

I tried to get to Chi today as I was going to the theatre: no chance,. Three cancelled trains later, I'm heading for the office for a refund. The two German women behind me on the platform were not impressed, talking about the madness of the rail system. They were close to saying it wouldn't happen in Germany but bravely resisted

 

[The Albion Roar]

Strange, I thought you told me that there was no increase in cancellations today? In any case, I only said that I was sure it was a co-incidence.

As for the protest, I'm at the other end of the country for two weeks after tomorrow but I wish all involved luck.

There were fewer cancellations today.

Just the 399, compared to yesterday's 472. Monday was the worst this week - 783.

 

[Guinness Boy]

SASTA to be questioned on the Radio 4 Today programme shortly (if their timings are correct which they're not always). This is starting to go national.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Who do you propose to sort it ? The Government want to rip working conditions away as well as jobs and reduce public safety and the RMT will not permit this

What part of I don't care do you not understand?

Ok - go on ranting it's all the governments fault but in my experience one side is very unlikely to be 100% to blame.

To my mind this is a petty argument which both sides are trying to make political.

All I know is that SASTA and the RMT between are making my life an absolute misery at the moment.

 

[Since1982]

Having just caught the end of the GTR COO on the Today programme this morning my question is, based on her view of the dispute, which of these facts is a) wrong or b) less than the whole picture. Nobody is losing their job, there will still be staff on the trains other than a driver, pay is unchanged, the driver will press the button to shut the door not the conductor. On the face of it that all seems no reason for the omnishambles that passengers are currently being put through but I am genuinely interested to know where the issues are with those proposals.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

SASTA to be questioned on the Radio 4 Today programme shortly (if their timings are correct which they're not always). This is starting to go national.

Diane Crowther, GTR Chief Operating Officer, was as evasive as any politician, routinely answering a different question from the one that was asked. Essentially she admitted that they had lied about the reasons for cancellations, although I don't think she realised she had done so.

She also refused to deny the suggestion that the government was behind their refusal to settle the dispute, which she could easily have done.

Very hesitant and unimpressive performance, which I suppose is what you'd expect from a senior employee of this shower.

 

[Deadly Danson]

Having just caught the end of the GTR COO on the Today programme this morning my question is, based on her view of the dispute, which of these facts is a) wrong or b) less than the whole picture. Nobody is losing their job, there will still be staff on the trains other than a driver, pay is unchanged, the driver will press the button to shut the door not the conductor. On the face of it that all seems no reason for the omnishambles that passengers are currently being put through but I am genuinely interested to know where the issues are with those proposals.

I know it's a pain to trawl through but all the answers you seek are in this thread.

 

[Since1982]

I know it's a pain to trawl through but all the answers you seek are in this thread.

Fair enough but much of what I have seen on here is wrapped in political rhetoric - I was hoping for a simple answer to a simple question.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Diane Crowther, GTR Chief Operating Officer, was as evasive as any politician, routinely answering a different question from the one that was asked. Essentially she admitted that they had lied about the reasons for cancellations, although I don't think she realised she had done so.

She also refused to deny the suggestion that the government was behind their refusal to settle the dispute, which she could easily have done.

Very hesitant and unimpressive performance, which I suppose is what you'd expect from a senior employee of this shower.

Precisely.

It was a performance every bit as weak and evasive as the rush hour train service!

 

[Deadly Danson]

Fair enough but much of what I have seen on here is wrapped in political rhetoric - I was hoping for a simple answer to a simple question.

There really isn't one. It's a lot more complicated than who shuts the doors.

 

[beorhthelm]

Having just caught the end of the GTR COO on the Today programme this morning my question is, based on her view of the dispute, which of these facts is a) wrong or b) less than the whole picture. Nobody is losing their job, there will still be staff on the trains other than a driver, pay is unchanged, the driver will press the button to shut the door not the conductor. On the face of it that all seems no reason for the omnishambles that passengers are currently being put through but I am genuinely interested to know where the issues are with those proposals.

because unions dont like change and will always fight them. conductors fear, with some good reason, they'll be slowly made redundant and jobs lost over time (though probably most through natural wastage), drivers fear a button press to close the doors will make them more responsible (than driving a 12 car train 70mph... i dont get that either). there's a fair point about not having a second safety trained person on board, but doesnt seem to be a problem for Thamelink and other services, and they dont appear to do anything in a real situation either (would depend on the person). one would think they could address this by safety training the Onboard Host (or whatever daft name they call the new role). the up side of all this is that by dropping the requirement for the conductor they can run a train when only a driver is available, not having to wait around for misplaced/absent conductors.

 

[Guinness Boy]

because unions dont like change and will always fight them. conductors fear, with some good reason, they'll be slowly made redundant and jobs lost over time (though probably most through natural wastage), drivers fear a button press to close the doors will make them more responsible (than driving a 12 car train 70mph... i dont get that either). there's a fair point about not having a second safety trained person on board, but doesnt seem to be a problem for Thamelink and other services, and they dont appear to do anything in a real situation either (would depend on the person). one would think they could address this by safety training the Onboard Host (or whatever daft name they call the new role). the up side of all this is that by dropping the requirement for the conductor they can run a train when only a driver is available, not having to wait around for misplaced/absent conductors.

Certainly one of the gripes is that they WON'T be safety trained. You've basically agreed to one of the union demands there.

 

[Ernest]

What part of I don't care do you not understand?

Ok - go on ranting it's all the governments fault but in my experience one side is very unlikely to be 100% to blame.

To my mind this is a petty argument which both sides are trying to make political.

All I know is that SASTA and the RMT between are making my life an absolute misery at the moment.

You've actually missed something with your RANT, by taking ASLEF to court and getting an injunction they have now gone into a dispute with the drivers who are now refusing to work days off which obviously is their right anyway and no company should be relying on their staff to make up for their incompetence in failing to have enough fully qualified staff.

So if GTR/SASTA settled with the RMT they are still in dispute with ASLEF and so the disruption will continue.

Only thing can happen now is if the DfT take the GTR/SASTA franchise away from them, sack the managers who have deliberately engineered the dispute and have DOR parachute into take over running things.

If not things will get a lot worse and for a long time.