Non: Train Strike

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?
The RMT want the guard to be able to signal to at least signal to the driver when it's safe to close the doors. If you've ever been to a station like Poole you'll realise why.

SWR put forward a plan allowing this which RMT agreed with weeks ago. SWR then withdrew their offer the following day.

You probably ought to ask SWR why they changed their minds of it wasn't a political decision to keep the strike going!

Doh! I seem to be repeating the post above, sorry.
 
I commuted on the DLR for several years. There is always a guard on DLR trains. They close the doors and also sometimes drive the trains for short distances (there is a locked panel in front of the front seats that opens to access the controls). So, in effect, DLR trains are operated by one person, it is just that they spend most of their time acting as a guard/customer assistant/ticket inspector rather than as a driver. Almost all DLR stations are unstaffed.
 
The RMT want the guard to be able to signal to at least signal to the driver when it's safe to close the doors. If you've ever been to a station like Poole you'll realise why.

SWR put forward a plan allowing this which RMT agreed with weeks ago. SWR then withdrew their offer the following day.

You probably ought to ask SWR why they changed their minds of it wasn't a political decision to keep the strike going!

Doh! I seem to be repeating the post above, sorry.
So assuming this is all true, while I sympathise with the (500? 1000? I literally have no idea how many there are) guards having a threat to their jobs but I very much take issue with them putting many, many more others' livelihoods in such peril for an entire month.

It's not like they can just "get the bus" or "just drive" instead. It's the ONLY way thousands upon thousands of people can get work. Even if they could drive, parking for a day plus Congestion charge plus ULEZ is easily going to hit £60+ a day. Probably more.

And that's before we count lost working hours to the economy and the disciplinary ramifications for employees regarding lateness and the reputational damage to the person this can cause... And then there's the effect on many people's social lives that this affects. Having to sell tickets to events the trains will no longer allow them to attend due to the early termination of services. Missing Christmas parties that have been paid for already. As an example, my wife pays over £6000 a year for her season ticket and customers are facing losing a bunch of money over Christmas or paying a load more to pay for alternative travel or accomodation.

Let's say I fully agree with all your points, do you genuinely believe that a strike of this length is fully justified? It would be bad at any time of year, granted, with it perhaps being slightly better during school holidays from a commuter point of view for example, but the time of year seems an especially vindicative choice as well.
 
You seem to have failed to address the point that an agreement was reached, only for SWR to withdraw their agreement on the following day. Why would SWR do that if they have a t055 about their 'customers'?

Edit: For the record, I did commute every workday by train for over a decade, with no bus option. If I didn't get to work, I took holiday or made up the hours. Unfortunately, I am now forced to drive every day, but i much preferred the train.
 
As someone who has just paid £60 to stand on a packed train from Waterloo to Bournemouth right next to a screaming baby I bloody hope they have sorted it!
 
As someone who has just paid £60 to stand on a packed train from Waterloo to Bournemouth right next to a screaming baby I bloody hope they have sorted it!

Take the screaming baby out of the equation, that situation might suit some of our fans who go to away games. ;)
 
The good news the strike is coming to an end.

Though we had no problems going up to London on Christmas Eve and returning on the 27th December. Going they had 10 carriages and the return journey had 12 carriages.

The bad news is prices are going up again.


Anyone arriving at Bournemouth railway station to buy a return trip to the capital will have to fork out £118.40 for a standard ticket and £195,30 for first class.

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/n...re-increase-hits-month-long-strike-comes-end/
 
Good they are retaining the guards.

The driver will close the doors, but will the guard still be stood on the platform so they can see all is clear and safe and then signal to driver to close doors?

Not sure what view a driver has from his cab down the platform, but a guard stood outside has a clear view.
 
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Good they are retaining the guards.

The driver will close the doors, but will the guard still be stood on the platform so they can see all is clear and safe and then signal to driver to close doors?

Not sure what view a driver has from his cab down the platform, but a guard stood outside has a clear view.
The London Underground has cameras to give the driver a clear view. They don't have a guard at all. It doesn't seem to cause any problems.
 
Guards are essential...and we have to consider peoples/paying punters...Peace of Mind...with regard to Safety...its a massive part of Customer Service..
The Foreign Owners of these Private Companies pocket enough Cash to fund their Private Jets !
The call for this industry to be Re- Nationalised is as potent as it ever was...its been f√cked up good and proper...High Prices and Herd em In like Animals... take their Money...Bugger the rest of it !
 
Nobody on London Underground is an hour away from stopping at yet another unmanned station.

Guards on much of the network here are essential, whatever the shareholders say.
 
The London Underground has cameras to give the driver a clear view. They don't have a guard at all. It doesn't seem to cause any problems.

Our local station doesn’t have any staff when a train arrives in from London and some people have difficulties when getting off the train, wheelchair users for one.

I saw the guard get off and put a ramp down or something to help them.

If there was no guard what happens then? Does the driver get out?

On the underground trains the step out to the platform is very low or ground level from memory.
 

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