Rail Strikes Looming

[naomi24]

Ahead of crippling walkouts, figures show that staff are paid 70 per cent above the national average. The average wage for a rail worker is £44,000 per annum and almost a third of all people working on the railways pay tax at the higher rate, meaning they earn more than £50,000.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/06/09/revealed-salaries-striking-railways-workers-steaming-ahead/

Does anyone support them?

[dannyk13]

How can any right minded person support this strike which is led by communist indoctrinated union bosses.The ,mind boggles at some of the work practices of railway employees:-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10905687/Train-services-cancelled-staff-wont-work-sunny-GUY-ADAMS-investigates.html

[davebro]

damn savages...

[ichkeria]

Despite being a Labour supporter I accept the unavoidable fact that inflation is only made worse by higher wages. It’s a sad fact.

So regardless of what they currently earn, no I don’t support this.
There is a case for ensuring people in vital care industries are paid enough to keep them in the profession tho. Otherwise we’re going against the “levelling up by higher wages “(remember that?!) principle in a particularly destructive way

[tiggerblue10]

I can't view the article but I earn a lot less than that average wage and I think we're getting just a 1% pay rise this year. So from my perspective I would not support the rail strikes.

[jno]

yes, they're valuable workers, as is shown when they don't work. Train travel isn't compulsory; people can always buy more cars instead.

[ichkeria]

There are two ways of looking at the “valuable workers” aspect:
“You’ll lose us for good if you don’t pay us enough” - fair point
“We can make life hell if you don’t pay us enough” - something approaching blackmail

Are these people going to look for different jobs if they don’t get what they ask for?
Maybe, but I’m doubtful

[Hymie]

If I was in a works union and through their activities, employees of the company (who did not have any qualifications above those gained at school) were paid in excess of £50k p.a. – I’d be impressed with them.

[mushroom25]

// who did not have any qualifications above those gained at school //

from where did you gain the impression that rail workers have no qualifications?

[Hymie]

I’d be very surprised if train drivers need above A-level qualifications – but you can prove me wrong.

[Hymie]

I’ve never heard of a degree in train driving.

[New Judge]

Also bear in mind that the RMT has, as one of its objectives (or "objects" as they prefer to call them) bringing about the end to a capitalist society and its replacement by a "socialist order of society."

[dannyk13]

//a "socialist order of society."//
i.e a communist state.

[goodgoalie]

And don't forget the free travel for them and their families - worth a large amount these days. I can't imagine being able to afford to travel by train now.

[sandyRoe]

Union spokespersons fear redundancies are in the offing. Who wouldn't support people fighting to save their jobs?

[mushroom25]

Train drivers are required by law to be licenced and certified.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/724/contents/made
the following explains in outline detail how this works in the UK
https://www.orr.gov.uk/guidance-compliance/rail-guidance-and-compliance/train-driving-licences-and-certificates

training a driver is expensive and time consuming, and most train companies will seek to avoid that cost at, errr, all costs. the easiest way to get more drivers is to poach someone else's driver, and the easiest way to do that is offer more money. thus began, a few years ago, an escalating spiral of train companies chasing or trying to hang on to a scarce resource. and so it goes, round and round.

[New Judge]

//Who wouldn't support people fighting to save their jobs?//

I wouldn't when they are providing a vital service which receives huge sums in public subsidies. But that aside, how can it help their cause to jeopardise rail services when the railways are already suffering a huge downturn in demand due to the pandemic? Many people who previously used railways to commute have found other ways of working and they will simply continue (or resume) working in those ways. The problem is that there are many people who have no choice but to commute to work (doctors, nurses, police, etc), which brings me back to my first point.

[Hymie]

Based on the links, to be a train driver (in the UK), you need to be at least 20 years old and have had nine years of education (primary & secondary).

Even someone as old as me who began school at age 5 and could have finished schooling at age 16 would meet those requirements. There is no requirement to have gained any educational qualification, other than complete the specified training program.

So in fact my statement requires correcting to state (who do not have any qualifications gained at school).

[fender62]

sack the lot, make a new contract...you can come back but no union
watch how many return...

[ichkeria]

Great idea.
There’d be no trains at all then :-)

[Buenchico]

I'm not in support of the strikes but, having worked on the railways, I'll point out that it's really only train drivers that get (relatively) high salaries:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7019221/train-drivers-salary-become-a-train-driver/
possibly along with signallers
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salary/Network-Rail-Signaller-Salaries-E15205_D_KO13,22.htm
Both jobs involve about a year of training, so they're far from being 'low skilled'.

However conductors and platform staff (who have to go through rather shorter, but still rigorous, training) earn far less than train drivers do, while still having to work unsocial hours.