Southern Rail STRIKE details

[Arthur]

With the RMT now appearing to be the 'good guys' will they now call off the remaining strikes as a gesture of good faith?

Where are they appearing as the "good guys". To me they are the bread of the shit sandwich, not quite as bad as pure shit but you still wouldn't want to eat it and it still stinks.

 

[Jim D]

Where are they appearing as the "good guys". To me they are the bread of the shit sandwich, not quite as bad as pure shit but you still wouldn't want to eat it and it still stinks.

The main criticism from the select committee would seem to be directed at the department and the operator. Little was said about the union. This would appear to be a concession that the union were just doing their duty to their members.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The main criticism from the select committee would seem to be directed at the department and the operator. Little was said about the union. This would appear to be a concession that the union were just doing their duty to their members.

Yup, encouraging to see the spotlight turned on the two principle parties responsible for this ongoing shitstorm. Should see a bit of movement in the right direction pretty sharpish now. Hopefully the threat of a Judicial Review will pile yet more pressure on these people to justify their positions.

 

[bhanutz]

what would you like to see happen?

No Strikes!

 

[In The Rough]

I stupidly thought that given they've had three days off they might have got round to sorting out the diesel stock on the Uckfield line once and for all. Alas no, the two trains I flit between up were both 4 coaches short formed and a later one was 2 coaches short.

Apparently they withdrew some trains today for maintenance. Which makes sense as it certainly couldn't have been done over the last 3 days when they have sat around in the depot doing sweet **** all. Grateful I am not going to London today.

 

[Jim D]

Yup, encouraging to see the spotlight turned on the two principle parties responsible for this ongoing shitstorm. Should see a bit of movement in the right direction pretty sharpish now. Hopefully the threat of a Judicial Review will pile yet more pressure on these people to justify their positions.

Yes, and the RMT can really seize the high ground by calling off the strikes and announcing that they are doing it to encourage Southern to back off too.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Yes, and the RMT can really seize the high ground by calling off the strikes and announcing that they are doing it to encourage Southern to back off too.

No, no no. What they need to do is press home their advantage with a complete shutdown for 2 weeks, that'll keep the public onside.

 

[beorhthelm]

The main criticism from the select committee would seem to be directed at the department and the operator. Little was said about the union. This would appear to be a concession that the union were just doing their duty to their members.

i think thats more a reflection its about the service operator and not about the strike. and timing, when the committee sat to hear everything, presumably some months ago (before the summer? its not clear on the report). they do mention the strike in the conclusion, sitting on the fence.

report is here for those with a quiet Friday.

what i really dont understand is the why the issue of staffing seems to have occured after the lines merged. presumably all the previous staff were transfered to the new company, so why were staffing problems evident before? did a significant number of people leave? did GTR change overtime practices to make the problem more accute? had the previous companies been otherwise hiding a load of problems with staff? its very odd.

 

[Arthur]

The main criticism from the select committee would seem to be directed at the department and the operator. Little was said about the union. This would appear to be a concession that the union were just doing their duty to their members.

But then you could argue that Southern are just doing their duty to their shareholders by trying to increase profits.

Quite frankly what good is the finding from this select committee going to do? In fact why was it needed at all, they could have just asked anyone who has had to put up with their bullshit service for the last few years. Likewise it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to tell you the union have just added to the misery.

So if the union is looking out for their members and Southern are looking out for their shareholders who is going to look out for the people that are stuck in the middle of this on going dispute?? They would be the good guys whoever they are!

 

[Arthur]

Apparently they withdrew some trains today for maintenance. Which makes sense as it certainly couldn't have been done over the last 3 days when they have sat around in the depot doing sweet **** all. Grateful I am not going to London today.

Wednesday 28th September was the first day these "train faults" started. 16 days later they've still not been resolved. Is it the same issue? Or just an unfortunate coincidence? What actually is the issue? Most importantly when is it likely to be resolved? All questions I have posed to Southern over the last couple of weeks only to be fobbed off with the same old bullshit....faulty stock!

 

[Ernest]

No, no no. What they need to do is press home their advantage with a complete shutdown for 2 weeks, that'll keep the public onside.

Maybe WEEKENDS too on ALBION match days ?

 

[Simster]

But then you could argue that Southern are just doing their duty to their shareholders by trying to increase profits.

Quite frankly what good is the finding from this select committee going to do? In fact why was it needed at all, they could have just asked anyone who has had to put up with their bullshit service for the last few years. Likewise it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to tell you the union have just added to the misery.

So if the union is looking out for their members and Southern are looking out for their shareholders who is going to look out for the people that are stuck in the middle of this on going dispute?? They would be the good guys whoever they are!

The unions are solely out to look after their members, and the GMT is a very aggressive union according to somebody I know who deals with them on behalf of our passenger group. But for all that, please don't lose sight of the fact that this mess is not at their door whatsoever. It is at the door of the government, who amended the terms of the train operator such that there is no motivation for them to maintain or increase customer numbers and also at the door of the franchise themselves who are so f**kin shìt that they can't even manage their industrial relations properly, never mind the train service that would embarrass a third world country.

There have been, what, seven or eight days of strike action in this calendar year. So why are that dreadful company trying to pin all the problems on the union? My morning train (the 723 from RDH to VIC) has been cancelled on average once every two weeks throughout the whole of 2016 and when it has turned up, it has often been with fewer than the 12 coaches advertised. That's just ONE train FFS.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

The unions are solely out to look after their members, and the GMT is a very aggressive union according to somebody I know who deals with them on behalf of our passenger group. But for all that, please don't lose sight of the fact that this mess is not at their door whatsoever. It is at the door of the government, who amended the terms of the train operator such that there is no motivation for them to maintain or increase customer numbers and also at the door of the franchise themselves who are so f**kin shìt that they can't even manage their industrial relations properly, never mind the train service that would embarrass a third world country.

There have been, what, seven or eight days of strike action in this calendar year. So why are that dreadful company trying to pin all the problems on the union? My morning train (the 723 from RDH to VIC) has been cancelled on average once every two weeks and when it has turned up, it has often been with fewer than the 12 coaches advertised. That's just ONE train FFS.

All the other trains run perfectly every day. It's a ruthless conspiracy against you!

 

[Jim D]

Maybe WEEKENDS too on ALBION match days ?

But don't they get paid overtime on weekends?

 

[Deadly Danson]

i think thats more a reflection its about the service operator and not about the strike. and timing, when the committee sat to hear everything, presumably some months ago (before the summer? its not clear on the report). they do mention the strike in the conclusion, sitting on the fence.

report is here for those with a quiet Friday.

what i really dont understand is the why the issue of staffing seems to have occured after the lines merged. presumably all the previous staff were transfered to the new company, so why were staffing problems evident before? did a significant number of people leave? did GTR change overtime practices to make the problem more accute? had the previous companies been otherwise hiding a load of problems with staff? its very odd.

Thameslink never had anywhere near enough drivers beforehand so, in fairness, GTR inherited that problem. Southern, on the other hand, very deliberately ran down staffing levels in the year before the new franchise started - presumably to save recruitment and wages costs in case they didn't win it so they are ENTIRELY responsible for staff shortages on the Southern side of things.

 

[Arthur]

The unions are solely out to look after their members, and the GMT is a very aggressive union according to somebody I know who deals with them on behalf of our passenger group. But for all that, please don't lose sight of the fact that this mess is not at their door whatsoever. It is at the door of the government, who amended the terms of the train operator such that there is no motivation for them to maintain or increase customer numbers and also at the door of the franchise themselves who are so f**kin shìt that they can't even manage their industrial relations properly, never mind the train service that would embarrass a third world country.

There have been, what, seven or eight days of strike action in this calendar year. So why are that dreadful company trying to pin all the problems on the union? My morning train (the 723 from RDH to VIC) has been cancelled on average once every two weeks throughout the whole of 2016 and when it has turned up, it has often been with fewer than the 12 coaches advertised. That's just ONE train FFS.

See my analogy about do-do sandwich. In said analogy the government are the hamper!

Oh and there have been 12 days of strikes to date this year since 26/04. With 11 more to come that is pretty much a working month over Q2,3,4 so you can't paint the union as being the heroes in all this.

 

[Simster]

See my analogy about do-do sandwich. In said analogy the government are the hamper!

Oh and there have been 12 days of strikes to date this year since 26/04. With 11 more to come that is pretty much a working month over Q2,3,4 so you can't paint the union as being the heroes in all this.

I'm not painting them as heroes - I'm saying they are not the major reason behind our utterly crap service. They are simply exercising their right to strike, which is inconvenient and annoying to us, but not really the reason for the omnishambles we witness. Afterall, where is the evidence that the southern branch of the GMT are any more militant than anywhere else in the country where they HAVEN'T been on strike 12 days in 2016?

 

[pearl]

No Strikes!

Sorry, I meant what would you like to see happen to the UK as in moving forward? Guess it's not the right thread tho

 

[MARKO]

Has anyone seen the new on-line form you have to register with to get delay repay ?
The old form you just put in a time you were delayed , now you have to fill out a free text to explain what you did , or they just calculate the next train and what time you could have got home.
Bang goes sitting in a pub for a couple of pints then getting some train home with delay repay paying for it.
Now got to stand on the platform with the great unwashed fighting to get on the next available service......bugger

 

[Napper]

Has anyone seen the new on-line form you have to register with to get delay repay ?
The old form you just put in a time you were delayed , now you have to fill out a free text to explain what you did , or they just calculate the next train and what time you could have got home.
Bang goes sitting in a pub for a couple of pints then getting some train home with delay repay paying for it.
Now got to stand on the platform with the great unwashed fighting to get on the next available service......bugger

can still claim

didn't find it that difficult.