Merseyrail Strikes

[GwladysPhil]

9 days during Christmas period now.

Thoughts?

Merseyrail customers to be hit by nine days of strikes over Christmas

It comes as a long running dispute over the new Merseyrail fleet of trains rages on

www.business-live.co.uk

 

[Deleted member 28206]

M I S E R Y R A I L

 

[GwladysPhil]

M I S E R Y R A I L

I think it's class and we're lucky to have such a good train network.

Frustrated the busiest period of the year will be impacted over something I don't feel is strike worthy.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

If there is no job losses it would be good if both parties could come to an agreement.
If its genuine safety concerns, what price safety?

 

[Sarnia Kevin]

Looks like a case of intrainsigence on both sides .

 

[john jako]

Really can’t be bothered driving to watch the blues. Can’t beat the train when you like a drink at the game. Haven’t been on a bus in about 15 years.

 

[Hickson9]

If there is no job losses it would be good if both parties could come to an agreement.
If its genuine safety concerns, what price safety?

There are no safety concerns.

Large swatches of the country, and much more intensely used networks, have Drivers operating the opening and closing of doors. It is completely safe.

In this case, the Trade Union is preventing change in order to protect the narrow interests of their members.

 

[COYBL25]

There are no safety concerns.

Large swatches of the country, and much more intensely used networks, have Drivers operating the opening and closing of doors. It is completely safe.

In this case, the Trade Union is preventing change in order to protect the narrow interests of their members.

I think you`ll find that they do a bit more than " open doors " mate.

The mere presence of a guard acts as a deterrent to would be knob heads on night time trains, as they`re the eyes and ears of the driver and railway old bill.

Lots of crime nasty crimes - assaults / robberies and sexual offences take place on trains / in and around train stations as they`re a universal magnet for wronguns.

Also time and time again, the guards act as a set of eyes for the driver when piss heads and others are trying to jump on the train last minute when it`s pulling off.

Simple question - would you rather your missus / daughter travelled on a night time train with or without a guard ?

* I know people who work on the railways, both on the trains and for the railway old bill. All of them to a man / women state that getting rid of the guards is a very very bad idea.

 

[GwladysPhil]

I think you`ll find that they do a bit more than " open doors " mate.

The mere presence of a guard acts as a deterrent to would be knob heads on night time trains, as they`re the eyes and ears of the driver and railway old bill.

Lots of crime nasty crimes - assaults / robberies and sexual offences take place on trains / in and around train stations as they`re a universal magnet for wronguns.

Also time and time again, the guards act as a set of eyes for the driver when piss heads and others are trying to jump on the train last minute when it`s pulling off.

Simple question - would you rather your missus / daughter travelled on a night time train with or without a guard ?

* I know people who work on the railways, both on the trains and for the railway old bill. All of them to a man / women state that getting rid of the guards is a very very bad idea.

2 mins between each stop - and they agreed to have a guard on board, I'm not sure what they're striking over now?

Are we the only tryin network to have someone opening and closing the doors?

 

[Minimeister]

There are no safety concerns.

Large swatches of the country, and much more intensely used networks, have Drivers operating the opening and closing of doors. It is completely safe.

In this case, the Trade Union is preventing change in order to protect the narrow interests of their members.

What, like their jobs?

 

[COYBL25]

2 mins between each stop - and they agreed to have a guard on board, I'm not sure what they're striking over now?

Are we the only tryin network to have someone opening and closing the doors?

Have you ever been on the last train at the weekend ?

The guards are what stop all kinds of madness happening and cheaper than having a transport old bill riding shotgun.

 

[Catfish Blues]

* I know people who work on the railways, both on the trains and for the railway old bill. All of them to a man / women state that getting rid of the guards is a very very bad idea.

I'm pretty sure when Rotherham got involved a few months ago that Merseyrail agreed that the trains would have a second person on them ( basically a guard in all but name ), they just wouldn't open and close the doors, the driver would do that. The new trains will have cameras on them, so the driver can see what's going on, inside and out.

If we were being totally honest, this isn't really about safety, it's about the RMT protecting their members pay and jobs, which is fair enough, but there isn't really that level of honesty being shown by the union.

 

[COYBL25]

I'm pretty sure when Rotherham got involved a few months ago that Merseyrail agreed that the trains would have a second person on them ( basically a guard in all but name ), they just wouldn't open and close the doors, the driver would do that. The new trains will have cameras on them, so the driver can see what's going on, inside and out.

If we were being totally honest, this isn't really about safety, it's about the RMT protecting their members pay and jobs, which is fair enough, but there isn't really that level of honesty being shown by the union.

or by the official side either

 

[Catfish Blues]

or by the official side either

True, but, now they've agreed to have a second member of staff on board, probably to a lesser extent.

From the management side, if guards aren't opening and closing doors, then the train can, in theory anyway, run without them, which removes some of the power that the union currently has. Chances are, sooner or later, probably later, but who knows, they'll try to remove that second person and run the trains truly driver-only, which is what the RMT are really worried about.

Lots of trains run driver-only in the country, but equally, lots of new rolling stock which could have been operated driver-only, run with a conductor on board. It's not really as black and white as both sides are painting it. In an ideal world, for the reasons you've already said, you'd have a conductor on board, but there's a cost associated with that, which will almost inevitably be, at least partially, be passed onto passengers. I'm happy to pay that, but not everyone will be ( including the match going fare dodgers you regularly see panicking when soneone's checking tickets !)

 

[Toast]

but not everyone will be ( including the match going fare dodgers you regularly see panicking when soneone's checking tickets !)

We would deffo be in the European places for train bunking.
Some outstanding efforts I've witnessed over the years.