Southern Rail STRIKE details

[BensGrandad]

Where have you been ?

What do you mean?

 

[beorhthelm]

In the blame and litigation culture that this country has become, I'm not surprised the drivers don't want to put themselves in the firing line for court action if a scapegoat is needed on a DOO train.

which make it all the more odd they never came out for all the other services that have gone DOO.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Of course they would, they are not independent (which they are meant to be) if you look into them. Most of the board are the Chairs, etc of the TOC's.

Guess they know what they are talking about then huh?

 

[Yoda]

Ignore him

He is obviously a civil servant with an extra allowable 6 days of sick which in effect is extra holiday and loads of union benefits incl subsiding wages if on strike. #jobcentreplus

NHS and no union for me

 

[Yoda]

Oh, the conductors didn't get a pay rise ? I thought they just got a pay rise. Something like £2000 bonus and raises above inflation for two years. Must have made that all up.

Oh? You mean the bribe or be fired offer?

 

[Yoda]

Guess they know what they are talking about then huh?

Not really. They are all fat cats only in it for them saying what will help save them a few bucks.

If they said it was safe to rip out the SPAD system (as it means spending less money on equipment on the trains) you would go along with that too?

*If you don't know, SPAD is the on board safety system that a driver has to acknowledge if approaching a signal that is anything other than green. If it is passed and hasn't been turned off, the emergency break apply.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

It was a safety critical member of staff controlling power doors as slam doors do not exist anymore

You have to physically reach out the window to open the doors...however I acknowledge that the doors are probably locked/unlocked by someone. Then someone goes down the platform slamming them all shut.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

As an ex union man, I think what these unions are doing to the British public is nothing short of disgusting. Striking when it suits them and cocking up people's lives. In future, if I can avoid getting a train, I will. If enough people are as p*ssed off as me, hopefully it will reduce the number of jobs they have. I hope they have as rotten a Christmas as those who won't be able to travel during the holidays.

 

[Ernest]

As an ex union man, I think what these unions are doing to the British public is nothing short of disgusting. Striking when it suits them and cocking up people's lives. In future, if I can avoid getting a train, I will. If enough people are as p*ssed off as me, hopefully it will reduce the number of jobs they have. I hope they have as rotten a Christmas as those who won't be able to travel during the holidays.

And what the Tories are doing to the working man is so good you STUPID idiot

 

[Papa Lazarou]

As an ex union man, I think what these unions are doing to the British public is nothing short of disgusting. Striking when it suits them and cocking up people's lives. In future, if I can avoid getting a train, I will. If enough people are as p*ssed off as me, hopefully it will reduce the number of jobs they have. I hope they have as rotten a Christmas as those who won't be able to travel during the holidays.

What we seem to be seeing is a lot of companies embracing flexible working practices to reduce the impact of the dispute. Perhaps this strike will have a longer term effect on the number of people who commute from Sussex to London overall as these more distributed working arrangements become more popular and successful.

 

[perseus]

SIR ROY McNULTY'S recommendation that trains in Britain should be worked by one person as a 'default' in future have been met with an angry response from the RMT union.

The proposal is one of a number of key reforms published as part of Sir Roy's objective to achieve a 30 per cent cut in railway costs by 2019.

His 'value for money' report published yesterday maintains that driver-only operation, usually known as DOO, is 'a safe method of operation and improves performance', and adds that DOO should be the 'default position ... with a second member of traincrew only being provided where there is a commercial, technical or other imperative'.

Many commuter routes around Britain, including some in the London area, have been worked by driver-only trains for many years, but the RMT has maintained steady opposition to any extension of the practice. Its stance led to a protracted dispute on ScotRail last year, where the union opposed the use of DOO trains on the newly-restored Airdrie-Bathgate line, which opened in December.

In the end, the RMT gave way to some extent, but trains on the line still carry a second member of crew as a ticket examiner, rather than a conductor. One key difference is that conductors control the doors and are in charge of the train; another is that ticket examination staff are paid less.

Sir Roy said a substantial reduction in costs is essential, and warned that if such a reduction could not be achieved, the alternative could be a 'smaller railway', although line closures have been ruled out at this stage. https://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2011/05/20-mcnulty-unions-declare-war-on.html

 

[dazzer6666]

What we seem to be seeing is a lot of companies embracing flexible working practices to reduce the impact of the dispute. Perhaps this strike will have a longer term effect on the number of people who commute from Sussex to London overall as these more distributed working arrangements become more popular and successful.

100% right. The regulars at my station, from a wide range of firms, are fully embracing working from home (with their company's support - appreciate this isn't possible for everyone). I've already had discussions with my boss about moving to a more permanent home-based arrangement. The strikes have allowed a lot of us and those who work for us to prove there is no drop-off (and in many cases there is an increase) in productivity, with an increase in work-life balance and ultimately staff well-being (which will aid retention).

Still took 2.5 hours to get into London this morning due to 'lack of crew' though.......

 

[synavm]

I feel we're reaching a point where DOO is happening and driverless will follow. The technological revolution is inevitable, and it should be up to unions to negotiate the best possible deals for staff within this new age, rather than resist it.

 

[albionite]

http://davidboyle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/the-first-divorce-because-of-rail.html?spref=fb

 

[kingcole]

And what the Tories are doing to the working man is so good you STUPID idiot

Well there are a lot more working men under the Tories

 

[Chicken Run]

http://davidboyle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/the-first-divorce-because-of-rail.html?spref=fb

Is that right, "some fans slept the night at the station" ?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Is that right, "some fans slept the night at the station" ?

There was stories of Villa fans sleeping at Brighton station after the game.

Might have been in the argus or maybe it was reported elsewhere, I can't remember.


I hope the Leeds fans down from London bring their sleeping bags.

 

[jmsc]

Well there are a lot more working men under the Tories

There are - on zero hour contracts on the minimum wage

 

[yxee]

And what the Tories are doing to the working man is so good you STUPID idiot

Said the naughty child in the headteachers office...

 

[skipper734]

I think Enrest is confused. It's Hundreds of thousand's of working people and their Companies who are suffering, compared to the few hundred non working Railway employees and their Company.