Southern Rail STRIKE details

[Ernest]

Interesting that the RMT have suspended similar action on Scotrail as meaningful talks are ongoing, will the same happen here ? Have ministers been whispering in ears at the DfT ?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Interesting that the RMT have suspended similar action on Scotrail as meaningful talks are ongoing, will the same happen here ? Have ministers been whispering in ears at the DfT ?

Hope so otherwise Friday week may be the lowest crowd since the AMEX was opened ! I just switched on sky and thought the story referred to Southern rather than Scotrail. I was about to send a text to a family member who cannot make the game if the strike is on.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Your reference to the 1970s is more about the unions supposedly politicising themselves and wanting to cripple the country through Marxist revolution. It's nothing like that today. Nowadays, it's about the government wanting to destroy the unions, and erode workers' rights (ref. Theresa May while Home Secretary). That's how it's going to be from here on in.

Remember, this dispute originated within government's intention of fighting the unions, while assuming passengers - who are merely collateral damage - would side with the former.

This one wasn't conceived by the staff nor unions and is all totally unnecessary in the first place.

Absolute, utter, unadulterated rubbish.

I am no fan of the government in this, as I said. I can see both sides. But just to wholly blame them and absolve the unions of all blame is just nonsense.

Listen to Mick Cash's rhetoric. Do you not think he's just as political an animal as those he is fighting?

They are as bad as each other,. No more. No less.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Absolute, utter, unadulterated rubbish.

I am no fan of the government in this, as I said. I can see both sides. But just to wholly blame them and absolve the unions of all blame is just nonsense.

Listen to Mick Cash's rhetoric. Do you not think he's just as political an animal as those he is fighting?

They are as bad as each other,. No more. No less.

Utter tosh. What kind of poundshop country runs a railway where you can't buy a ticket from a human in a ticket office and where there isn't an onboard human to assist with any emergencies? If GTR are that keen on glorified trolley dollies 'improving the customer service' than go ahead and hire some. But not at the expense of frontline staff doing a proper job, very much valued by anybody with a wider perspective than their own selfish self.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Utter tosh. What kind of poundshop country runs a railway where you can't buy a ticket from a human in a ticket office and where there isn't an onboard human to assist with any emergencies? If GTR are that keen on glorified trolley dollies 'improving the customer service' than go ahead and hire some. But not at the expense of frontline staff doing a proper valuable job.

That wasn't my point. The issue here is government v union not the standard of service and we are caught in the middle.

Do you really think that's what the union cares about?

 

[pearl]

Utter tosh. What kind of poundshop country runs a railway where you can't buy a ticket from a human in a ticket office and where there isn't an onboard human to assist with any emergencies? If GTR are that keen on glorified trolley dollies 'improving the customer service' than go ahead and hire some. But not at the expense of frontline staff doing a proper job, very much valued by anybody with a wider perspective than their own selfish self.

hosts won't be hostesses, they will be revenue protection

 

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

Don't these Union guys realise that no trains equals no jobs?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Utter tosh. What kind of poundshop country runs a railway where you can't buy a ticket from a human in a ticket office and where there isn't an onboard human to assist with any emergencies? If GTR are that keen on glorified trolley dollies 'improving the customer service' than go ahead and hire some. But not at the expense of frontline staff doing a proper job, very much valued by anybody with a wider perspective than their own selfish self.

I don't disagree with your wider point about valuing frontline staff. However I haven't bought a ticket in a ticket office for over a year. I buy online on an app and collect from a ticket machine at the station. Like it or not that is the future.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That wasn't my point. The issue here is government v union not the standard of service and we are caught in the middle.

Do you really think that's what the union cares about?

The union know damn well that the minute you replace guards with trolley dollies then they become an optional extra that nobody would miss. So SASTA phase them out and save on the wages. The union also know damn well that with the ticket office gone, they can flog off the former ticket office as a retail outlet. It's all about the privatised profit and the fat bonuses for the pigs with their snouts in the trough.

 

[dazzer6666]

What's the likelihood of the strike going ahead next week then ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I don't disagree with your wider point about valuing frontline staff. However I haven't bought a ticket in a ticket office for over a year. I buy online on an app and collect from a ticket machine at the station. Like it or not that is the future.

Well it might be YOUR future. For now. But what about the huge section of the community who might not be so physically or mentally able to use an app or a ticket machine? What chance have THEY got?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Well it might be YOUR future. For now. But what about the huge section of the community who might not be so physically or mentally able to use an app or a ticket machine? What chance have THEY got?

On my local line ticket offices do not exist. Most people buy online and collect at the machine. If unable to do so then it is also possible to buy from a ticket inspector on the train. Seems to work well. To be clear I don't see a need for ticket offices but I do see a need for the people working in them but just redeployed more efficiently. I would re-nationalize. I know this is not on offer !
In the short term I just want this strike cancelled before the Forest game.

 

[pearl]

you haven't had to try and use delay repay vouchers then

 

[Seasider78]

Whilst I support the people's right to strike 5 days is simply ridiculous and shows complete contempt for the passengers that are already enduring hell on a service they heavily rely on

If unions are looking for public support this is not the way to go about it

 

[Lower West Stander]

The union know damn well that the minute you replace guards with trolley dollies then they become an optional extra that nobody would miss. So SASTA phase them out and save on the wages. The union also know damn well that with the ticket office gone, they can flog off the former ticket office as a retail outlet. It's all about the privatised profit and the fat bonuses for the pigs with their snouts in the trough.

Sorry - I just don't buy that.

Whilst I don't agree they should be abolished, I can't see SASTA getting much out of flogging off ticket offices as retail outlets. Barnham has enough empty shops as it is and I can't see a number of rural stations on my route having retail outlets either. The kiosk on my station platform closed down a month ago because SASTA got to greedy with their rent demands.

Don't think I'm supporting the government in this - I'm not. But some of the arguments you are making are stretching credibility a bit. Sure the union has a point but there are counter arguments too.

 

[KJP]

how are they still allowed the franchise, months of lies and nothing done about it

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Sorry - I just don't buy that.

Whilst I don't agree they should be abolished, I can't see SASTA getting much out of flogging off ticket offices as retail outlets. Barnham has enough empty shops as it is and I can't see a number of rural stations on my route having retail outlets either. The kiosk on my station platform closed down a month ago because SASTA got to greedy with their rent demands.

Check out Brighton station. Not that many years ago, it used to have proper ticket office with about eight manned windows AND a proper travel centre for those with more exotic travel needs. Now it's got one poorly located ticket office out the back of the station just beyond the toilets with an eternal queue of mainly foreign tourists wanting to speak to a human. Apart from the longtime M&S, and maybe the smelly pasty shop, the retail outlets are uniformally piss-poor.

 

[halbpro]

Check out Brighton station. Not that many years ago, it used to have proper ticket office with about eight manned windows AND a proper travel centre for those with more exotic travel needs. Now it's got one poorly located ticket office out the back of the station just beyond the toilets with an eternal queue of mainly foreign tourists wanting to speak to a human. Apart from the longtime M&S, and maybe the smelly pasty shop, the retail outlets are uniformally piss-poor.

Woah! Woah. What have you got against Bagelman?

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

how are they still allowed the franchise, months of lies and nothing done about it

Because the Government are complicit and fully support Govia.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

I'm guessing that, as Southen have just sent out a strike action email, they're not expecting these talks to go well...