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Disgusting strike action on London underground.

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Are the strikers not receiving 'strike pay' from their Union?

 

The Southern Rail Union were paying the train conductors £300 a week to strike.

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So what if they aren't paid? Well, most people go to work to earn money, so losing a days pay isn't something most of us would just do on a whim is it? Therefore they must have thought at least a little bit about is it worth me losing a days pay over and come up with the answer 'YES!'. So clearly to the strikers there is a reason to do this and even if the answer is pay, well then that's their lookout.

 

People saying they have London over a barrel, well yes indeed they do, so perhaps they should be paid and treated like a bloody important resource, same as the police, NHS etc. It's only a train driver, it's only a nurse, it's only a...well suddenly the it's only a lot have a lot more power and good. About time.

 

It is rubbish for the Londoners trying to get to work etc today, and they do have my sympathy that they've been caught in the middle, same as the Southern trains commuters, but the anger should almost always be targeted at the employers not the workers. To strike means all other avenues to get a problem resolved have failed. Unions are FAR from perfect, they need problems and disagreements to keep themselves going sadly, I am aware of this, but I'm struggling to think of any case where the employer isn't mostly at fault. This particular case might be different, as I actually kinda agree with TFL and the closure of the ticket offices!

 

If TFL absolute believe they are in the right, then they should press on with closure of the ticket offices and try to deal with the strikes as best they can. Strike fail very quickly without public support or at least public antipathy and if TFL are seen to be doing the right thing and the union is simply trying it on then the strike will fail.

 

The salary of a tube driver is £49k.

 

The salary of a ticket office worker, to the best of my knowledge is £29k. I'd wager those who sell tickets at theatres or cinemas don't get paid that much and may also have to lose a days pay or holiday because they can't get to work. The reason why they don't get paid that much is because they can't disrupt as much as the tube workers can.

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People saying they have London over a barrel, well yes indeed they do, so perhaps they should be paid and treated like a bloody important resource,

 

Aren't tube drivers paid like £60k or something?

 

---------- Post added 09-01-2017 at 11:40 ----------

 

The starting salary of a tube driver is £49k.

 

The starting salary of a police man is under £20k, I know which job I'd rather do.

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Aren't tube drivers paid like £60k or something?

 

The starting salary is £49,673. It goes up to £50,000 - £60,000 after a few years (for a 36 hour week).

 

---------- Post added 09-01-2017 at 11:43 ----------

 

Aren't tube drivers paid like £60k or something?

 

---------- Post added 09-01-2017 at 11:40 ----------

 

 

The starting salary of a police man is under £20k, I know which job I'd rather do.

 

Transport for London doesn't advertise tube driver vacancies to the public due to a deal with the trade unions which means that jobs are advertised internally first.

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Yeah but why do they want to keep 'non-jobs'? Who uses ticket offices now when you can just use your contactless card/Apple Pay/Android Pay or Oyster card if you don't have a contactless card.

And there are ticket machines all over the place.

 

My understanding is that it's not about ticket offices per se, but safe staffing levels. Closing ticket offices will reduce the number of staff available in an emergency, such as the 1987 Kings Cross fire. If ticket offices are closed but safe staffing levels maintained, then I don't see a problem. However, I'm not yet convinced that will be the case.

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The salary of a tube driver is £49k.

 

The salary of a ticket office worker, to the best of my knowledge is £29k. I'd wager those who sell tickets at theatres or cinemas don't get paid that much and may also have to lose a days pay or holiday because they can't get to work. The reason why they don't get paid that much is because they can't disrupt as much as the tube workers can.

You've hit the nail on the head.

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My understanding is that it's not about ticket offices per se, but safe staffing levels. Closing ticket offices will reduce the number of staff available in an emergency, such as the 1987 Kings Cross fire. If ticket offices are closed but safe staffing levels maintained, then I don't see a problem. However, I'm not yet convinced that will be the case.

 

So basically as long as the number of people employed at each station (and therefore paying union dues), and presumably the pay of those people, is not reduced, then the union will judge the stations "safe".

Basically a protection racket.

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how selfish of the striking underground " workers" sorry that should be the unions wanting to give the establishment a slap? what about the normal working man who is going to suffer with these strikes.

 

I believe withdrawing your labour is a human right.

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My understanding is that it's not about ticket offices per se, but safe staffing levels. Closing ticket offices will reduce the number of staff available in an emergency, such as the 1987 Kings Cross fire. If ticket offices are closed but safe staffing levels maintained, then I don't see a problem. However, I'm not yet convinced that will be the case.

 

Are they even trained for emergency procedures?

 

The unions are using the same argument over the Southern Rail strike, but to the best of my knowledge the conductors don't receive any extra emergency response training for their job.

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My understanding is that it's not about ticket offices per se, but safe staffing levels. Closing ticket offices will reduce the number of staff available in an emergency, such as the 1987 Kings Cross fire. If ticket offices are closed but safe staffing levels maintained, then I don't see a problem. However, I'm not yet convinced that will be the case.

 

Its the safety of the general public, not the workers. How can we castigate the workers for this action?

 

---------- Post added 09-01-2017 at 11:51 ----------

 

Are they even trained for emergency procedures?

 

The unions are using the same argument over the Southern Rail strike, but to the best of my knowledge the conductors don't receive any extra emergency response training for their job.

 

You dont seem too sure.

Edited by El Cid

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I've already said that I'm kinda on the side on TFL on this one, but the fact remains that once you start eroding rights on striking for one group you make it easier to erode rights on other groups. The government is already trying to stop doctors striking using the same laws that stop the police from striking. Funny how the police are paid the least of all the emergency services and they are the ones who can't strike...

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So basically as long as the number of people employed at each station (and therefore paying union dues), and presumably the pay of those people, is not reduced, then the union will judge the stations "safe".

Basically a protection racket.

 

If genuine, I don't see the desire to protect the travelling public as a racket.

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