Big Fifer Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 Can't really blame the RMT for trying to use COP26 to get a better deal for their members. End of the day, that's their remit, they're a trade union. I don't really know the ins and outs of what drivers have received that the guards etc aren't getting, I think at one point train drivers were part of the RMT as well before ASLEF was created and the drivers across all operating companies became the railway royalty. Some solidarity eh lads? I was part of the RMT for a few years when I worked on the railway pre-graduation, the largest issue for me seemed to be that the union and the company were just too far apart on everything to ever really see eye to eye. RMT and the branch leaders were all very old school, very much "nothing can ever change or modernise", and the opposite side of the negotiating table was the heads of the TOC looking to extract every last bean of profit they could. It always struck me as a bit of a nonsense that the train guards role was SO important for "safety" reasons when railways across the continent and a variety of underground systems operate just fine without one. Of course the safety aspect is a large part of why train guards are paid reasonably well. I'm not entirely sure what the answer is to all of this, because as much as I think the guards safety shtick is a nonsense, the company operating Scotrail (or indeed the government) just really want rid of them so the bottom line looks healthier. Much better for them to replace them with an 19k a year ticket inspector rather than a guard. If the contingencies are anything like they were when I worked at Waverley it'll be management all getting fast track training to be guards for the two weeks to try and run as many as possible. Admittedly it was a different company I worked for. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 1 minute ago, Big Fifer said: If the contingencies are anything like they were when I worked at Waverley it'll be management all getting fast track training to be guards for the two weeks to try and run as many as possible. Admittedly it was a different company I worked for. At least one of the other unions have said they'll get zero cooperation from their members if they try that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Fifer Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, welshbairn said: At least one of the other unions have said they'll get zero cooperation from their members if they try that. Yeah but, again admittedly it was > 3 years ago now, TSSA and Unite membership numbers are absolutely miniscule in comparison to the RMT. I'm not exaggerating when I'd suggest, in terms of membership, >95% of railway staff will be in the RMT. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 5 minutes ago, Big Fifer said: Yeah but, again admittedly it was > 3 years ago now, TSSA and Unite membership numbers are absolutely miniscule in comparison to the RMT. I'm not exaggerating when I'd suggest, in terms of membership, >95% of railway staff will be in the RMT. Didn't know that. Wouldn't have thought many members would be happy about giving up 2 weeks wages leading up to Christmas with no guarantee of a better settlement. If the Government/Transport Scotland/Scotrail were going to fold it would be now, not after Cop26. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 Opposite reporting from RMT and BBC, who knows? Expect deal to be done giving each side a claim of victory. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Have some faith in Magic Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Left Back Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 20 minutes ago, Have some faith in Magic said: Simply means the same nonsense will start again next year. Can has been kicked down the road. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alta-pete Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 56 minutes ago, Left Back said: Simply means the same nonsense will start again next year. Can has been kicked down the road. Agreed. But without a big international conference to use as leverage. So expect it to continue being kicked down the road. They really should tie up these deals on something like a 4/5 year cycle. If pay and conditions are then that out of kilter at each renewal at least one party can properly set out their case as to why. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajwffc Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 the deal looks almost like the last one that was turned down apart form it being a 12 month instead of the 24 month offer of 1x 2.5% increase in stead of the 4.5% over 2 years 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19QOS19 Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 the deal looks almost like the last one that was turned down apart form it being a 12 month instead of the 24 month offer of 1x 2.5% increase in stead of the 4.5% over 2 years There was a condition in the last one that was an absolute stinker for Guards and I reckon that is the reason it wasn't accepted tbh. I haven't been paying much attention to the media over all this but I expect they never bothered to mention that part and instead just focussed on the money side of things. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajwffc Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 I have seen mention of conditions but not what they are 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 I have seen mention of conditions but not what they are One off payment for Cop26.3 hour book on allowance for working on rest days. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer Jag Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Great result for the RMT given the hurdles they have had to overcome with anti-trade union laws and management trying to bully them and play them off against other trade unions by offering an inferior deal. Hopefully this episode demonstrates what can be achieved when workers unite for the common good. Also, it was disheartening to see that much of the anti-trade union rhetoric on social media was coming from self-proclaimed progressive, independence supporters. Tartan Tories showing their true colours. Shame on the Scottish Government for allowing this dispute to rumble on for as long as it has. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH33 Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 7 hours ago, 19QOS19 said: There was a condition in the last one that was an absolute stinker for Guards and I reckon that is the reason it wasn't accepted tbh. I haven't been paying much attention to the media over all this but I expect they never bothered to mention that part and instead just focussed on the money side of things. I was talking to the RMT member who comes into work. It was the conditions not amount that was issue. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigkillie Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Also, it was disheartening to see that much of the anti-trade union rhetoric on social media was coming from self-proclaimed progressive, independence supporters. There are a lot of almost cult-like independence supporters who don't have their own opinion on any policy issue but rather just guide their views on whether it is inconvenient for the Scottish government. You've seen it on the covid thread on here too. If this had been a dispute with the Tory government to do with UK train staff they'd be sharing memes about how much MPs are paid compared to train conductors or something like that. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Are the Sunday rail strikes off for good as far as we know? Looking to book for next month. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajwffc Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Are the Sunday rail strikes off for good as far as we know? Looking to book for next month.Yep that is the Scotrail strikes done for now. Just the sleeper on strike now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honest Saints Fan Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 1 hour ago, welshbairn said: Are the Sunday rail strikes off for good as far as we know? Looking to book for next month. Booked for Sunday 12th December Edinburgh to Inverness but email this morning to say rail replacement from Edinburgh to Perth due to engineering works. Train cancelled and booked the megabus instead. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Just now, Honest Saints Fan said: Booked for Sunday 12th December Edinburgh to Inverness but email this morning to say rail replacement from Edinburgh to Perth due to engineering works. Train cancelled and booked the megabus instead. FFS. All the Sunday tickets are full price on the Aberdeen line, no advance tickets whatsover. c***s should be making them half price after fucking us around for months instead of settling the strike. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 On the train from Perth to Glasgow. Two carriages. Every seat taken in Perth and folk already having to stand. Next stop Gleneagles. Loads more get on including prams. Trains already packed and we’ve got places like Stirling and Falkirk to go - presumably the majority of people are going to Glasgow. I hate Scotrail. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.