RMT union vote for a national rail strike

[rjfp1962]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61573206

[Don Roque]

It's a great way to make sure people won't fully move over to rail travel.

[RacerMike]

Assuming this is going to be next Thursday/Friday? Which is particularly rubbish for me as I need to get to Heathrow for a flight to NY and had booked my train tickets the other day.

Takes the P a little bit that they’re striking over pay when the average wage according to Glassdoor is £54k for a 40hr a week contract….

[Itsallicanafford]

Think they need to give 2 weeks notice…

[anonymous-user]

That will teach the public.

[rover 623gsi]

mental

[grumbledoak]

Vote with your wallet.

Simply never take a train again.

[survivalist]

Unlike to get much public support or sympathy.

Also, a lot of engineering work on bank holidays so most people would have made alternate plans already.

[RacerMike]

survivalist said:

Unlike to get much public support or sympathy.

Also, a lot of engineering work on bank holidays so most people would have made alternate plans already.

Train service I was/am due to take unaffected by engineering work, but unclear yet whether all services are affected by the strike or just some specific ones within London.

[Johnnytheboy]

Remind me again why I should give my car up and use public transport?

[NuckyThompson]

RacerMike said:

Assuming this is going to be next Thursday/Friday? Which is particularly rubbish for me as I need to get to Heathrow for a flight to NY and had booked my train tickets the other day.

Takes the P a little bit that they’re striking over pay when the average wage according to Glassdoor is 54k for a 40hr a week contract….

What you want them to do? Take a pay cut and allow the rail companies to make even greater profits?

The strike is the result not the root cause

[Johnnytheboy]

They aren't taking a pay cut.

[alangla]

This does have something of the air of turkeys voting for Christmas.
One can’t help but feel that this will play right into the hands of a government that wants to reduce the influence of the unions and wants to get a grip on the costs of running the railway post Covid.

[NuckyThompson]

Johnnytheboy said:

They aren't taking a pay cut.

Unless the offer they turned down is 10% it would be a real world pay cut

[irc]

Rail is already heavily subsidised. A pay rise higher than the 3%? Fare increase will mean more taxpayer subsidy.

Pre pandemic it was £5Bn per year.


https://fullfact.org/economy/how-much-does-governm...

[Dblue]

NuckyThompson said:

Johnnytheboy said:

They aren't taking a pay cut.

Unless the offer they turned down is 10% it would be a real world pay cut

Like all of us are facing for the next year or two. Forcing 10% wage rises through a very powerful union is exactly the reason why inflation will likely continue to be a big problem.
The RMT members have some very very well paid members already, wages for drivers on London Underground work out at around 3 times that of a nurse for example.

It's sod all to do with profits of train companies , they do it because they can.

[CarCrazyDad]

Don Roque said:

It's a great way to make sure people won't fully move over to rail travel.

Quite.

Do your job. Ffs.

As if the general public dislike poor quality, cramped, often delayed and horrendously expensive rail travel.

This will help their cause!

[soxboy]

Itsallicanafford said:

Think they need to give 2 weeks notice…

According to BBC 'The union said its leaders would meet to discuss a timetable for strike action from mid-June'.

Apparently the RMT say "members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies". We all would love that, but not going to get any sympathy for striking about it.

[ZedLeg]

Dblue said:

The RMT members have some very very well paid members already, wages for drivers on London Underground work out at around 3 times that of a nurse for example.

You’re right, nurses should get a pay rise too.

[anonymous-user]

Has there ever been a period where wages have increased at a higher rate than inflation?