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Thread: what advice would you give RMT unioin

  1. #1
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    what advice would you give RMT unioin

    bosses as they try to deal with the situation that they find their industry finds itself in? It seems to me that the commuter business model is under attack from the all sides, Greens, people whose employers are flirting with WFH strategies and the general pressure to save money caused by the Ukraine war that appears to have driven up energy and food prices.
    Last edited by BCram; 23-06-2022 at 10:31 AM. Reason: spelling correction

  2. #2
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    I'd be telling them to be very careful. For the reasons you mention the industry might very easily decline over the next ten or so years, possibly sooner, and redundancies are very likely. I notice that a no compulsory redundancy for (I think) ten years is part of their requested deal - they aint getting that or certainly shouldn't.

    Next I would tell them it's 2022, not the 1970s, and disruptive industrial action won't receive the level of support of the public now that it did then so again they need to be very careful, there are too many alternatives to their service that today's 'need it now' society will adapt to very quickly.

    Next I'd tell them that all unions are run by selfish ****s and to give up their fight because ****s don't win.

  3. #3
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    I’d say good luck and stick in there, we hear all the calls to cut down the carbon footprint yet they are forcing folk of the trains, when the fat cats stop taking over inflated wages/bonuses then they can have a look at normal hard working mens wages

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdfc View Post
    I’d say good luck and stick in there, we hear all the calls to cut down the carbon footprint yet they are forcing folk of the trains, when the fat cats stop taking over inflated wages/bonuses then they can have a look at normal hard working mens wages
    I think there is something in this comment. I don't know how the rail franchises work but the basic principle seems to be under threat. trying to draw any politician into the discussion needs to be carefully considered and strike action is such a broad weapon for sharing the misery that I think they need to be careful.

    I would like to know if the union bosses believe that the "commuter based business plan" is actually on the way out. I saw a statistic that siad only 54% of the total work force in the country was back full time in their business premises. That's a massive drop in passenger numbers and no amouint of efficiency savings and cuts in executive pay or suspension of dividends would make even a start to balance the books. The bus companies seem to be suffering as well, so perhpas strike action is actually the very worst thing the RMT could do to try to restore the train business.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdfc View Post
    I’d say good luck and stick in there, we hear all the calls to cut down the carbon footprint yet they are forcing folk of the trains, when the fat cats stop taking over inflated wages/bonuses then they can have a look at normal hard working mens wages
    Does that include the fat cats at the top of the unions?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdfc View Post
    I’d say good luck and stick in there, we hear all the calls to cut down the carbon footprint yet they are forcing folk of the trains, when the fat cats stop taking over inflated wages/bonuses then they can have a look at normal hard working mens wages
    The Union bosses are paid a lot more than their workers so it suits them to have as many members under their control paying their union dues to pay their union bosses salaries.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Deeranged View Post
    Does that include the fat cats at the top of the unions?
    ,the fat cat union boss is on 78k per year, the fat cat network rail boss is on 600k per year, don't think you can compare their saleries

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by frankiekopel View Post
    ,the fat cat union boss is on 78k per year, the fat cat network rail boss is on 600k per year, don't think you can compare their saleries
    Youi just did

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by BCram View Post
    bosses as they try to deal with the situation that they find their industry finds itself in? It seems to me that the commuter business model is under attack from the all sides, Greens, people whose employers are flirting with WFH strategies and the general pressure to save money caused by the Ukraine war that appears to have driven up energy and food prices.
    The RMT Union bosses in England and Scotland are calling for no compulsory redundancies.
    This rarely happens unless a business goes bust.
    Normally there is a stampede of workers looking for redundancy especially if they have several years to go before they retire.
    Pre Covid a rail strike including a national rail strike by signallers would have resulted in businesses organising buses to take their employees to work with the resulting grid lock on the roads as rail commuters use their car to drive to and from work.
    However thanks to the Covid pandemic resulting in people working from home the rail unions no longer have the ability to hold the country to ransome.
    In my opinion the Governments at both Westminster and Holyrood (transport is devolved at Holyrood) should modernise the U.K. railway network brining it up to the 21st Century by having an automated rail signalling system and automatically controlled driverless trains.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by BCram View Post
    I think there is something in this comment. I don't know how the rail franchises work but the basic principle seems to be under threat. trying to draw any politician into the discussion needs to be carefully considered and strike action is such a broad weapon for sharing the misery that I think they need to be careful.

    I would like to know if the union bosses believe that the "commuter based business plan" is actually on the way out. I saw a statistic that siad only 54% of the total work force in the country was back full time in their business premises. That's a massive drop in passenger numbers and no amouint of efficiency savings and cuts in executive pay or suspension of dividends would make even a start to balance the books. The bus companies seem to be suffering as well, so perhpas strike action is actually the very worst thing the RMT could do to try to restore the train business.
    It's not really the unions job to restore faith in the rail network, its their job to look after its members. The problem of dwindling train use would be the problem of the rail companies. Rail companies have been ripping off its customers for years, and its customers are not happy.

    If they want more people on trains,cutting staff won't do that, cutting prices will. Take less profit, provide a quality product,and do it at an affordable price,without trying to rip people off.

    I was looking to catch a train to the south of England recently, quoted £897 for two. Then the price went down £300 which is still way over the cost of driving but why was the first quote 3 times the second?

    I get companies want to make money,but it seems to me that many companies are cutting back the service they provide, while complaining about falling customer numbers.

    Reducing the quality of service you provide will always do that as we have seen ourselves at dens. Then revenue falls and the first thing to go is staff,which reduces the customer experience further,and a downward spiral is the outcome.

    The RMT are actually striking to try and maintain the service we get now,while avoiding job cuts and getting a half decent pay deal,which would still be a real terms pay cut.

    And on top of that, they are trying to deal with the current transport secretary,a known con man, who should never be trusted in anything he does.


    Rail strikes will not help the railways obviously,but they might help railway workers secure a deal that saves jobs. I back them 100%

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