Non: Train Strike

This statement from the RMT Union website says it all really

“RMT is angry and frustrated that a set of proposals that would have guaranteed the safety-critical role of the guard at the point of despatch, and which would have cost the company absolutely nothing, have been kicked back in our faces. There is no rational explanation for the company position and we can only assume that either they or their paymasters in Government want this strike action to go ahead for politically motivated purposes.
and here is the advice from SouthWestern Railways for emergencies

In an emergency
It’s normally safer to stay where you are and wait for instructions. But, it’s also important you know what to do.
  • if you need to stop the train, pull the alarm, then find a member of staff

So if the emergency is the driver being taken ill, who is exactly the member of staff you are supposed to find, if it is not a guard?
 
Maybe an idea for the Public to 'strike'' for a week...i.e boycott the train journey in protest at ' no guard ' trains and lack of safety consideration.....then a further week about rail fare increases......put a rocket up these bastards. ...Its not about service any more..
its totally about fat cat bosses getting fatter.....Revolutionary Actions...the only way for this sad land now.
 
Well, in all this clamour to ensure safety for their passengers, the guards' absence and subsequent limited number of trains has resulted in dangerously overcrowded platforms during the morning commute today - a problem that will only be exacerbated this evening.

And all over a petty argument about who "gets to push the button". Do like me and my 5 year old brother had to and take it in turns or something, ffs.
 
Has anyone yet discovered why they came to agreement weeks ago, then SWR changed their minds the following day and withdrew?

Did it have anything to do with getting government financial backing (from taxpayers) to compensate the company for losses if they get the strike back on?

A bit sad if political point scoring is more important than passenger safety in the weeks before an election - but not really surprising.
 
I regularly travel Brockenhurst to Waterloo and strike days are always welcomed. Less trains on the line means they actually arrive on time.
Weekends might be a different story though
 
I think you're missing the point.

I really don't think he is, I think you are.

Again I ask, if technology can take your job next week you'll happily walk away without as much as a comment and hopefully find a job at Asda on half the wages?
Your happy for tech to take over every job so that there's no income for anyone?
Actually it's a bit of a mute point because the tech isn't in place on the railway outside of London to do what SWR want to do safely and they don't want to break their shareholders hearts by spending the £2bn to do it.
 
Well, in all this clamour to ensure safety for their passengers, the guards' absence and subsequent limited number of trains has resulted in dangerously overcrowded platforms during the morning commute today - a problem that will only be exacerbated this evening.

And all over a petty argument about who "gets to push the button". Do like me and my 5 year old brother had to and take it in turns or something, ffs.

They're dangerously overcrowded because SWR is trying to run a half arsed service using managers, many of whom have no idea what they're doing.

It isn't a petty argument though Simon. It isn't just about who "gets to push the button". I've explained before on here what the underlying issues are. The parent company of SWR has done away with guards on other franchises abroad and once they manage to change their contracts which they are seeking to do now they can legally do away with guards completely. They had an agreement in place and now they've reneged on that.
 
Do any of the posters worried about safety travel on the docklands line in London? You must sh1t your pants if you walk to the front of the train ;)
 
Equating a line in a city with a rural railway that stops at numerous unmanned stations in the middle of nowhere looks like nonsense to me.

I'm guessing nobody blaming RMT on here was on the train that had long waits at Totton and Brockenhurst on the way back Saturday? I'm not sure it would have been quicker to get home with no guard on board...
 
It was somewhat tongue in cheek but one carries something like 10 times of the other and it manages it without guards or drivers.

I can't disagree with your numbers, but I'm fairly confident DLR has less customers that can't operate a ticket machine than most stations around here! I'd also suggest most of them aren't as surprised when it's not still pulled by a steam engine.
 
All DLR trains have a guard who opens and closes the doors even if no driver. Or at least they had a guard up until summer 2018 when the DLR was part of my daily commute
 
They're dangerously overcrowded because SWR is trying to run a half arsed service using managers, many of whom have no idea what they're doing.

It isn't a petty argument though Simon. It isn't just about who "gets to push the button". I've explained before on here what the underlying issues are. The parent company of SWR has done away with guards on other franchises abroad and once they manage to change their contracts which they are seeking to do now they can legally do away with guards completely. They had an agreement in place and now they've reneged on that.
As a mere passenger and user of the service, the reports I've read has made it sound an awful lot like SWR has offered RMT exactly what they have asked for but SWR want the driver to be able to close the doors and RMT can't possibly have that for some reason. I assumed that was what happened now when the guard blew the whistle or stuck his paddle in the air anyway?
 
I really don't think he is, I think you are.

Again I ask, if technology can take your job next week you'll happily walk away without as much as a comment and hopefully find a job at Asda on half the wages?
Your happy for tech to take over every job so that there's no income for anyone?
Actually it's a bit of a mute point because the tech isn't in place on the railway outside of London to do what SWR want to do safely and they don't want to break their shareholders hearts by spending the £2bn to do it.

tech is already in the job. We don’t use pens and paper, we use hand held PDA’s. We don’t ride bikes or use horse and carts, we drive vans. No one carries maps anymore, there’s sat nav and Dorset explorer. The list is endless. It looks like 20,000 Postie’s will lose their jobs because mail volumes are dropping 8% a year. No union can stop the decline in letters, it’s a changing world. The world evolves and SWT and RMG has to evolve with it.
 
tech is already in the job. We don’t use pens and paper, we use hand held PDA’s. We don’t ride bikes or use horse and carts, we drive vans. No one carries maps anymore, there’s sat nav and Dorset explorer. The list is endless. It looks like 20,000 Postie’s will lose their jobs because mail volumes are dropping 8% a year. No union can stop the decline in letters, it’s a changing world. The world evolves and SWT and RMG has to evolve with it.

Who built the PDA? Who wrote the software? Who built the satellites? Who wrote the software? Who built the rockets? Who build the satnav device? The list goes on. Like you say, jobs change but that doesn't put us out of work...
 
Who built the PDA? Who wrote the software? Who built the satellites? Who wrote the software? Who built the rockets? Who build the satnav device? The list goes on. Like you say, jobs change but that doesn't put us out of work...
The Chinese?
What I want to know is, who cleans the toilets?
 
Who built the PDA? Who wrote the software? Who built the satellites? Who wrote the software? Who built the rockets? Who build the satnav device? The list goes on. Like you say, jobs change but that doesn't put us out of work...

Exactly this. Your job isn't on the line dibby because of a PDA. Horses aren't going on strike because we now drive cars. If they wheel a robot in and or develop a software system that can do all your daily tasks you'll clearly not mind because that's technology that we just have to accept? What's the end result?
 
As a mere passenger and user of the service, the reports I've read has made it sound an awful lot like SWR has offered RMT exactly what they have asked for but SWR want the driver to be able to close the doors and RMT can't possibly have that for some reason. I assumed that was what happened now when the guard blew the whistle or stuck his paddle in the air anyway?

They had a deal in place that the guard would keep responsibilities that would ensure that they would stay on trains. They've reneged on that deal even though the media won't tell you that. All that currently stands is SWR's "word".
The main problem is that due to poor under invested infrastructure, outside of London, the driver can't see down 10 coaches to see if its safe to close the doors and depart. Even with some technology at Hayes & Harlington station a passenger was dragged down the platform with her arm stuck in the door where no guard was present.
There's still the issue of wheelchair passengers getting on and off trains as well.
 

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