Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]

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Rail Strike

Posted by Allan Campbell on June 8, 2022, 15:56:26

I have not been on a train in the U.K. for YEARS that is excluding Tyneside Metro which would be say 6-8 years ago.

No reason to go on a train and I expect there will be a lot like me. Prefer to use the car.

In any case there are no trains that I could or want to use.

I could drive into Harrogate get on the train to York or Leeds but it’s easier to drive to York and park and use the Park and Ride at Poppleton or Clifton Moor.

Of all workers, Railwaymen have I think the safest jobwise and it appears good wages.

Hopefully they will not be killing the goose that lays the golden egg, their wages.

Allan C.

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Sheila on June 8, 2022, 17:17:30, in reply to "Rail Strike "

I needed to travel to the West Country, from 2017 to 2019. Got the train to Reading and changed to the train coming from Paddington to Exeter. Always booked a seat on A carriage, the quiet carriage and it was really good. GWR. Once we were waiting for the train at Didcot to Reading, when they announced a train was coming through non stop. It passed in the blink of an eye. Really unnerved my husband who was wary of trains. My experience was they are great and a good way to travel..

Rail Strike

Posted by Peter on June 8, 2022, 19:06:35, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "

My best ever experience of a train journey was from Paris to Clermont-Ferrand sometime in the '90s. It was business and as I was traveling to see the Grass Trials, yes, you read that right, with the Ground Manager of the All England Tennis & Croquet Club, we travelled first class.
The train was clean, comfortable, on time, fast, and not crowded; in other words the exact opposite of a British train.

Rail Strike - Error Message

Posted by Peter on June 8, 2022, 19:08:26, in reply to "Rail Strike "

Correction......All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
Apologies to all those offended.

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Sheila on June 8, 2022, 19:40:46, in reply to "Rail Strike "

Yes although they do shift work, the salary was about £65,000/ £70,000 a year. I do think it could be boring, then another awful thing is suicides. I know of someone who had a suicide on the track. His colleagues said we have all had the dreadful experience, you will be ok. Six months later he had another and he was off work for a while, it takes a long time to recover.

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by geordieboy on June 9, 2022, 12:59:36, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "

Railway WORKERS like most employees are subjected to stresses ie police/firemen etc., The UK trains being crowded shows they are serving a purpose. All WORKERS in todays lazefar attitude should be well paid , there are to many fat a..... people feeding off the public trough. Come on Boris have a short pier built so these types and the media critics can take a long walk on it .

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Mac Cummings on June 9, 2022, 13:43:29, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "
Edited by administrator Admin2 June 9, 2022, 14:04:04

Rail workers earn a median of 44k, 70% above the national average which is 26k.
Nurses earn 31k, Teachers 37k and Police sergeants and below 42k on average.
You will find that the RMT union disputes these figures because they also include figures from train drivers who belong to ASLEF!!
Stress indeed. Do they have more than Police/Nurses etc? I think not.
And it seems to me that it is the drivers who have the most stress levels.......BUT the union making all these threats doesnt by its own admission represent them?

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Liz Dance on June 9, 2022, 14:08:08, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "

Seems as though the Labour Party are on the side of the strikers, so what’s new there!!!

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Sheila on June 9, 2022, 14:43:10, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "

I cannot comment on railway works salaries, ie train guards et al, but train drivers are definitely on £65,000 £70,000. The younger ones will happily work extra shifts which I was told brings their salary to approx £70,000. This is from train driver. I read a few years ago, it was the normal salary for the London tube train drivers and believe they have a pay rise or two since then.

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Brian on June 9, 2022, 14:52:00, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "

Train drivers and train managers are on pretty good money on the mainline routes but on the shorter suburban routes the pay is a lot less, they don't have train managers but conductors/guards who are not particularly well paid, catering staff on trains make about the same as they would in hospitality in general but its still not a huge wage. Like a lot of jobs certain roles are well paid, but the vast majority aren't as well off as we may presume because we tend to look at the top wages not the low ones.

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Sheila on June 9, 2022, 15:00:10, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "

Brian, I didn’t realise that. I’m talking about drivers, driving into London and driving to Penzance and Plymouth. It is amazing salary, but the shifts can be stressful. They also get a lot of hassle from disgruntled customers.

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Brian on June 9, 2022, 16:27:40, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "

It's easy to forget the lower paid in this the guards/conductors went on strike a couple of years back at Northern Rail as the pay was abysmal.

Re: Rail Strike

Posted by Mac Cummings on June 9, 2022, 17:26:46, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "

Yes there are lower paid but now I see that ASLEF has joined the party and is seeking higher pay for drivers who already do quite well!!
Anyway it was reported this afternoon that ,and I quote....
Contacted by City A.M., the Labour Party said it wasn’t supporting the industrial action.
“We’ve been clear in the position that the strikes shouldn’t go ahead,” a party spokesperson said.
Whereas
Lisa Nandy, a Shadow Minister, part of Labour's inner circle is quoted as saying on live TV
that she supports striking rail workers if the Government fails to address their concerns, but insisted that the Labour Party is still on the "public's side".
Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the shadow levelling up secretary said: "We want to avoid the strikes and we're on the public's side on this.
"We're also on the rail workers' side and I was speaking to some rail workers on Monday just before I got on the train to come down to London.

No confusion there then!!

Rail strike

Posted by Sheila on June 9, 2022, 18:18:00, in reply to "Re: Rail Strike "
Edited by administrator Admin2 June 10, 2022, 10:00:52

Talk about sitting on the fence, poor LisaðŸ™„

Rail Strike

Posted by Sheila on June 9, 2022, 18:20:12, in reply to "🙄"
Edited by administrator Admin2 June 10, 2022, 10:00:34

Confused!!

Re: Rail strike

Posted by Admin 2 on June 10, 2022, 10:02:18, in reply to "Rail strike"

I got rid of those strange numbers in the heading for you. Did I do right?

Re: Rail strike

Posted by Sheila on June 10, 2022, 10:42:37, in reply to "Re: Rail strike"

Yes thank you Mac.