London Tube Strike
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Discussion

bad company

Original Poster:

21,256 posts

287 months

Monday 8th September 2025
quotequote all
I’m surprised there’s not a thread running but I can’t see it so :-

As I see it London’s ground to a halt because the already well paid drivers with excellent pensions want even more money to work less hours.

Rick_1138

3,900 posts

199 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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My wife works in third sector hospitality and tourism, and inn a lot of holiday groups on Fb etc, and the feeling of hatred, anger and upset at holidays in London that have been booked for months in advance being shafted due to this is quite something.

My wife is quite left and very pro labour and even she is a bit put off by it all.

Digger

16,051 posts

212 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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As per last few, I’d hope this gets called off early ie by tomorrow fingers crossed!

valiant

13,040 posts

181 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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bad company said:
I’m surprised there’s not a thread running but I can’t see it so :-

As I see it London’s ground to a halt because the already well paid drivers with excellent pensions want even more money to work less hours.
Most drivers are ASLEF and have turned up for work.

Power and control room staff haven't and so nothing can run without them.


Countdown

46,703 posts

217 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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I'm sure this has probably been answered so apologies if I missed it but is there any reason why UK train driver salaries are the highest in the world? My guess is that it's because of the negotiating strength of the various Unions but just wondered if there was some other reason.

Digger

16,051 posts

212 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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Anyone on here striking?

Be brave & put your hand up!

smile

Hants PHer

6,493 posts

132 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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I heard a RMT spokesman - could have been Eddie Dempsey, their leader - on LBC the other day talking to Nick Ferrari. I mean, talk about old school trade unionism. Reduced hours, more pay and huge discounts on rail travel: up the workers, brother! Dempsey (if 'twas him) literally said that shift working was stressful for staff. Yeah, must be tough being the only workers in the UK that work shifts. Hold on..........

Apparently, tube train drivers have rejected a salary offer of £70,000 - and that's before overtime and shift payments is included.

Still, when the message from government is, in effect "The more damaging your strike action is, the more likely we are to meet your demands", then what else should we expect from the unions? Let's see how Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary, handles this. I'm not optimistic.

Sport_Turismo_GTS

3,280 posts

50 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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Hants PHer said:
I heard a RMT spokesman - could have been Eddie Dempsey, their leader - on LBC the other day talking to Nick Ferrari. I mean, talk about old school trade unionism. Reduced hours, more pay and huge discounts on rail travel: up the workers, brother! Dempsey (if 'twas him) literally said that shift working was stressful for staff. Yeah, must be tough being the only workers in the UK that work shifts. Hold on..........

Apparently, tube train drivers have rejected a salary offer of £70,000 - and that's before overtime and shift payments is included.

Still, when the message from government is, in effect "The more damaging your strike action is, the more likely we are to meet your demands", then what else should we expect from the unions? Let's see how Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary, handles this. I'm not optimistic.
Plus a pension benefit worth an additional 30% on top.

LeighW

5,156 posts

209 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advi...

"The union wants a four-day, 32-hour working week."

"Claire Mann, TfL's chief operating officer, said a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week would be “neither practical nor affordable”."

I'm sorry, is 35 hours per week excessive? Christ... rolleyes


alangla

6,141 posts

202 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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bad company said:
I’m surprised there’s not a thread running but I can’t see it so :-

As I see it London’s ground to a halt because the already well paid drivers with excellent pensions want even more money to work less hours.
I don’t think it’s the drivers this time. ASLEF accepted a 4 day week on pretty much the same hours already (if anything, LUL seem to be the winner on that deal, as things like training days appear to be unpaid time, so it balances out the slight reduction in the working week), it’s the RMT that appear to want it cut to 32 hours with no loss of pay, plus the same National Rail perks as British Rail staff from 30 years ago.

I was somewhat surprised to read that LUL will apparently fund 75% of National Rail commuting costs for drivers (or maybe all staff) that live outside of London. Are they really having that much difficulty recruiting with the rates they’re offering?

Digger

16,051 posts

212 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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What’s the starting salary for a newly qualified driver?

119

16,219 posts

57 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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Not as if we didn't know it was coming after the last free handout he gave drivers.

fido

18,277 posts

276 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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Great day to work from garden and getting the detailer round to clean the wagon. There was a bus strike last week which was worse (for me anyway, as my mum uses the bus). Just got reamed on a social Whatsapp group by lefties so i collated some of the info on here:-

"Apparently, tube train drivers have rejected a salary offer of £70,000 - and that's before overtime and shift payments is included. Plus a pension benefit worth an additional 30% on top. That's more than most of you lot on here but keep supporting them lol"

Over and out. laugh

Edited by fido on Monday 8th September 13:31

alangla

6,141 posts

202 months

Monday 8th September 2025
quotequote all
LeighW said:
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advi...

"The union wants a four-day, 32-hour working week."

"Claire Mann, TfL's chief operating officer, said a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week would be “neither practical nor affordable”."

I'm sorry, is 35 hours per week excessive? Christ... rolleyes
It is if your actual plan is 4 days normal plus 1 day O/T every week… The RMT once called a strike for signallers in the Stirling area because Network Rail wanted 4x9 hours a week and the RMT wanted 3x12… They claimed 12 hours a day would be less fatigue. I’m not sure about you, but I tend to be more tired after 12 hours at work than I am after 9.

zetec

4,952 posts

272 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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alangla said:
It is if your actual plan is 4 days normal plus 1 day O/T every week...
So less contracted hours worked means more overtime hours worked? Is that the reason behind the reduced hours request?

languagetimothy

1,575 posts

183 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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ive been through many of these strikes over the years. seems to be a tradition now. bit of a pain but there usually alternative transport. even sometimes the company Im working for paying for parking and picking up a couple of colleagues on the way. fortunately im retired now.


tube drivers? just sack them all immediately and tell them they can get a job at another Tube company in London if they dont like their current contract. .. oh, hang on a minute..



911Spanker

2,895 posts

37 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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Terrible situation to slow down one of the world's key cities- unions have too much power.

It's quite pathetic really.

Ian Geary

5,329 posts

213 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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languagetimothy said:
ive been through many of these strikes over the years. seems to be a tradition now. bit of a pain but there usually alternative transport. even sometimes the company Im working for paying for parking and picking up a couple of colleagues on the way. fortunately im retired now.


tube drivers? just sack them all immediately and tell them they can get a job at another Tube company in London if they dont like their current contract. .. oh, hang on a minute..
Its a double edged sword though as

I) they tube needs drivers to make it work, and they can hardly expect commuters to twiddle their thumbs for however long it takes to recruit and train new drivers

ii) these new drivers could do exactly the same

Note: someone above said its not drivers this time, but control room staff. The above 2 points apply just as equally to them though .

What conclusion can you draw from this?

A- be a tube driver
B- don't do crappy shift work if you're not a tube driver

Bluevanman

9,117 posts

214 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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Someone will be along in a minute to tell me I'm wrong but driving a tube train appears to be a lot easier and less skilful than driving other forms of transport,like buses for instance.Their union must be great negotiators.
Apparently the cost of bringing in driverless trains is prohibitive

valiant

13,040 posts

181 months

Monday 8th September 2025
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Bluevanman said:
Someone will be along in a minute to tell me I'm wrong but driving a tube train appears to be a lot easier and less skilful than driving other forms of transport,like buses for instance.Their union must be great negotiators.
Apparently the cost of bringing in driverless trains is prohibitive
What about control room staff, power supply staff, fleet maintenance, etc, etc?

How will automation stop them going on strike bringing the service to a halt?

You could have full automation today and they'd still be no service due to who's out today.